Using power tools?

[swamp monkey]

It is fun to see the variety of how folks do things. 

My first bow making workshop used a band saw and then nothing but hand tools.  I took another workshop on Osage orange and we sued nothing but hand tools. 

Today, I use power tools infrequently.  E.g., Sometimes I use a hand circular saw might be useful to cut a kerf on an obstinate piece of wood.  On staves with knots in the handle section that will give me fits with a draw knife I use a band saw.  If my cabinet scraper is not making enough progress with smoothing I use an electric sander.  For the most part though, I can work just as fast with or without power tools.  Once you get use dto the them and have your stamina built up for it.

I agree with the comment that you can mess things up in a hurry with power tools.  However, I can do the same with hand tools too.  Attitude matters.  Jim Hamm said it best in one of his books to go dunk your head in a bucket of water when you get in a hurry.

One day I imagine I will also favor a few power tools to save my body the strain.  I don't jump in and out of a truck bed anymore 

Bottom line use what you are good at and enjoy.  There are plenty of ways to make things work and plenty more to make a mess. 

best of luck. 

[JW_Halverson]

I will own up to my fair share of ruined staves from using power tools.  On a rare occasion I will use a bandsaw to get the side profile close to a finished point.  But I gave up trying to saw limb thickness when I screwed up three staves in a row.  When you gotta buy all your osage three staves is a bit of a bite!

I will use a palm sander, but when I go to the 400 and 600 grit, it's all by hand.  A bit of charcoal in one hand and the sandpaper in the other.  Rub questionable spots with charcoal and then buff out any marks with the sandpaper.  I'll put my finish work up against anybodies...but you won't catch me bragging any about my tillering!   You might call it polishing a turd!   

[JonW]

Power tools are my friend! I can almost finish tiller a bow on the belt sander then switch to scissors for final scraping. My bandsaw is just too much fun not to use it. I firmly believe to each his own though. Use what you are comfortable with.

[osage outlaw]

I've never nicked a bow using a palm sander.  And it sure saves me a lot of elbow grease.


SA, you can make a scraper real easy.  I made one out of a circular saw blade.  I put a really good burr on two edges of it.  I have used it on every bow I've made for the last 3 years and I haven't had to touch the burr since the first time. 

[JW_Halverson]

I would be willing to bet you could divide the camp into two factions simply by asking what goal you have with your bow making. 

For folks like me, it isn't even about the bow that I am striving to make.  It's about the process.  It's about doing my best with the wood I have, the tools at hand, and seeing how it is progressing from one step to the next.  Handtools are a big part of that equation.

For the other camp, it's about getting a good shooter that they can hunt with or clean up at a primitive 3D shoot.  They probably enjoy the shooting much more than I do.  Shooting (to me) is a chore much like doing dishes.  Necessary, but nothing to get excited about.  Power tools work just fine for this group. 

I make no judgement on who is more "pure" or more "primitive".  What do I care as long as you are having fun doing it and PASSING IT ALONG?  Just go build another, and pleease be sure to post pics whether you plugged into Edison Juice or used a stone biface gripped with your opposable big toe while holding the stave with your tail!  Floor is now open to opposing views. 

[Del the cat]

I use a bandsaw, but that's it.
Using an axe too much agravates my tennis elbow (as does shooting much over about 50#)
I got the bandsaw a couple of years back and it's been v handy. Now I'm used it I find it saves a lot of rasping when doing horn nocks for ELBs.
Great for speeding up the Honeydos to.
Del

[Pappy]

I use a draw knife to debark,Band saw to rough out and farriers rasp 49/50 files and scraper,5/32 chain saw file and sometimes belt sander to shape the tips. Pretty much in that order,I am pretty much like JW,can't argue who is more primitive but unless you are doing it with a rock[and some on here has] you ant primitive,I tell folks ,I just make wood bows,that's it.
   Pappy

[Buckeye Guy]

In the 60's any stick with a string would do
 the 70's I got in to fiberglass full blown production
then we added wheels to get more draw from shorter bows
lost all intrest for a spell !
most of the economic woes of the 80's kept me from doing anything fun had to work 100 plus hours a week to feed the family !
By the 90's I was back at it just a hatchet and a piece of Glass for a scrapper then down to just rocks and had a blast!!!
Then I was hit with a severe drug reaction and about all I could remember for awhile was I used to enjoy life,then I managed to get a bow blank from Gary Davis and began to scrape a little at a time I think it took me a couple of years to finish tillering it out .It was the therapy that I needed to keep me going ! Many of you folks have seen me shoot that old naked piece of Osage she still gives me much joy !
The pain levels still slow me down allot and often bring me to a halt so most of what I do today is power tool work bandsaw and beltsander but I still stop by anytime i am around the flintknappers to see if that perfect piece of flint was left behind cause there is nothing like it for scrapping a perfect tiller on a nice piece of Osage ! ( Its a mind thing !)
Have fun how ever you decide to go cause there just does not seem to be a wrong way to harvest a bow from a tree !!
Guy

[crooketarrow]

    First let me say I really don't care what someone use's. With that said.
  I'm alttle bit like toomanyknots. I've made over 100 bows and not once have I nor do I ever wish to use anything more than a light to light my shop. I was taught to go slowwwwwwwwwwwwww by my old friend CROOKET ARROW. I build bows a little differently than anyone else dose. At any given time I'll have 2 ,3 and I have had 4 bows going at once. PLUS I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD THE OLD SAYING. ONCE YOU THAT IT OFF YOU CAN'T PUT IT BACK ON.
  I don't put a time limit on me finishing a bow. EVEN WHEN IT'S FOR SOMEONE ELSE. Here's where I do things differently. I'll hang my bow or bows up on a rack. Let me also say this. if it's not in my heart I don't force myself to pick up a tool. Everytime I walk into my shop I'll look the bow or bows over. By doing this you'll see things about the bow you did'nt see before.
  I'm sure no ,I know you all have did this. You get a bow finished and the more it's shot the longer you look at it the MORE YOU SEE THINGS YOU WISH YOU'D HAVE THE CHANCE TO REDO, FIX OR JUST SOMETHING.
  Plus I like to think there's a lttle more than just sweat. A little bit of my heart and soul into each bow. I have no desire to hurry up and get a bow none in a day or even a week or so.
  I enjoy my slowwwwwwwwwwwwwww method.

[Del the cat]

Funny there should be this thread, I picked up a wobbly European Hornbeam stave yesterday to start work on it, my bandsaw snapped it's blade so I've been doing it with my axe.
Definitely more fun and feel with an axe but slower and I have a blister already .
The bandsaw doesn't like that stuff at all, but my axe just eats it up
Del

[Badger]

  Since my retirement I find myself more and more using hand tools only, draw knife ,scraper seem to be my favorites. Last week I was building a bamboo backed ipe, I use power tools on ipe and laminate bows and then tiller with a scraper. I couldn't get a scraper to touch this wood so I ended up tillering with a belt sander, yes I screwed it up!

[bobnewboy]

Hi Guys, long time no post....and I've not made much either, but anyway..

JW, nice tip about the charcoal.  Never heard that one beforer but I will try it.

Dwardo, here in the UK (as we are) I have found that some of the local equine supply places sell reasonable farrier's rasps at an accpetable price.  Here in Surrey I have one such place more or less round the corner, and I didnt know it was there before....

[crooketarrow]

  I could see useing power tools if any of use were mass produceing bows but you can't build self bows that way.

[Pappy]

Not mass producing,but I can build them that way. I have built many with hand tool and could again if I needed to,but don't see the need right now. Always seems to be the problem with threads like this,some thinks their way is the only way and that simply isn't true. Takes a certain skill to use hand tools but it also take a certain skill to use power tools. I like knowing how to do both.  I agree it ant a race and I get in no hurry.    
   Pappy

[JonW]

  I could see useing power tools if any of use were mass produceing bows but you can't build self bows that way.

I wonder what I've been making then?