Help with new bow

[randman]

You might just get lucky on that one and skin by. Looks like by the time you get it to a bendable thickness, that'll be gone.

[iowabow]

Two hours to chase 2 rings on the straight end and run it through the saw. I also started reducing the belly.  Here are a few photos of the progress.

[gstoneberg]

Looks good John.  Is it bending at all yet?  Keep the pictures coming.

Not everybody does this, but I always leave my handles full width until I've got the long string on.  Then, if the string doesn't lay right where I thought it would I can adjust the handle layout a bit.  (It also lets me crush the tar out of it in the vise without marring the finished handle.)

Good luck,
George

[iowabow]

 I have taken many pictures for you guys to see the double knot situation I am working through.  I am not going to work on this till morning so any comments will be welcome.

[iowabow]

The sides are 1/2 thick and I left the tips extra long so that I did not over do it during floor tillering.  You can see this in the picture below.

[JW_Halverson]

I see in one of the pictures that you have sorted your wood scraps into chips in one plastic tote and shavings in another.  It's official.  You are beyond O.C.D.  You need therapy, I prescribe two hours a day, five days a week cleaning my bowshop.  You can start immediately!

If the mess in my shop doesn't qualify as shock therapy at least it will get cleaned up.

[iowabow]

Caught in the act by you.  I do clean up after every hour of work.  But I am saving the shavings and chips to make a liquor for tanning a deer skin at the end of the season.  I have them divided so that I can see if there is a Ph difference.   The chips contain the outer most part of the tree.  I read somewhere that osage bark can tan.  I did a small experiment last year and it worked well so I thought I would try it on a larger scale.

[JW_Halverson]

I've used oak bark to make dye.  It was so tannic I prolly coulda tanned hides with it. 

I've broke two Stanley spokeshaves knocking them off the bench and hitting the concrete floor.  Nowadays I like the cushion of 3-4 inches of shavings!   Also cheaper then those ergonomic rubber floor mats!

[iowabow]

I wish I did not have to clean all the time but I have an allergy to the dust. I have to wear a good dust mask and take claritin every 12 hours while making bows and for three days after.   I would not use this wood except that the osage look so cool when finish it is worth it.  Anyway I heated the back into the caul but was careful this time not to over over strain the limb.  On the snakey part I only heated for reflex and used my hand to bend till I felt the wood give from the heat then I started using the clamp.  My question is does this look OK.  I was afraid that if I tried to flatten the wood to the caul it would crack.  What do you all think?

[blackhawk]

Good job on the caul. You listened to your gut feeling and it served you well. I wouldn't want to try and flatten it   at that knotted kink either. But that's just me and how I would've done it too

[Buckeye Guy]

Good job
this is going to be good !If not it wont be for the lack of your effort or ability
Guy

[iowabow]

Ok I am happy so far with the way thing are turning out.   I am going cut the tips to lenght and finish floor tillering then I will need a lot of help as I move to the tree.   I hope no one reads this as a how to thread because I am so new to the bow thing.  Many times along the way I feel like I am walking in the dark.

[JW_Halverson]

Walking in the dark isn't that bad, with care and caution you will arrive in one piece.  Now running in the dark....that's another story. 

Don't ask me how I know that.

[iowabow]

Don't tell me you were running in the dark with scissors.  When tillering this non-straight piece do I make the curve an average of the rollercoaster or should the rolls flatten and be a smooth curve. I don't know if I am saying it correctly.

[Buckeye Guy]

My opinion an average and maybe the knotty area not at all!
If they flatten they are stressing more than the rest!
Guy