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Author Topic: Newbie bow question  (Read 5087 times)

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Stikshooter

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Newbie bow question
« on: November 26, 2007, 06:09:36 pm »
I am trying to make my first selfbow out of a cedar elm stave,I have the bow drawn on the back already,but what is the best way to reduce the stave down?I do not own a bandsaw.what should the thickness of the limbs be to start to even get close to floor tillering?
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Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2007, 06:14:38 pm »
A draw knife or a farrier's rasp are the 2 best ways to remove lots of wood.   Its really hard to guess the thickness without knowing the width, length, draw weight, draw length, and quality of the wood. Justin
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Offline Kegan

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2007, 06:18:57 pm »
A hatchet works well too. It'll take off alot of the outer wood so you can bring it in with a drawknife or rasp.
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Offline nugget

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2007, 06:56:51 pm »
Just my opinion but maybe reduce down to about 1/2 " for the thickness of the limbs. That way if you leave a little extra on top of that you will have room to work.
Yes I love my Farriers rasp. I have 2 I alternate between.
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2007, 10:07:56 pm »
A good sharp hatchet works well if you choke up on it and take accurate little chops. Be sure to start at the handle and chop toward the tips, if you chop toward the handle, you'll get into the grain and it'll split out on you. Thickness varies from stave to stave, but you can take the belly down to something like 3/4" at the fades, 5/8" at midlimb, and 1/2" at the tips. If it still feels like a 2x4 and doesn't bend at all, try 5/8", 1/2", and 3/8". Just take it slow and easy, especially until you have a few bows under your belt and get the feel of what you can get away with and what you can't. You can scrape and scrape with seemingly no change, then you get impatient and take some wood off, and you suddenly have a 20# bow. It's not easy to put wood back on once it's gone. I bet that cedar elm will make a good bow.
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2007, 10:29:53 pm »
Elm is a difficult wood to work with a drawknife or hatchet. You would be better and safer to work at it with a good rasp
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Stikshooter

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2007, 10:35:22 pm »
The stave is 64" 1 3/4" at mid limb,I am shooting for 50lbs @29"

Anybody close to San Antonio?This is a great site,I really appreciate every one's help and advice :)
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Bishop

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2007, 01:08:58 am »
i am still working on my first board bow and like you i do not have access to a bandsaw, i have to give credit to the forum but i found a simple box plane, stanley makes a inexpensive one, to work great at removing that unwanted wood, i also found that a little trim plane comes in handy also but keep in mind this is coming from a newbie... ;D

Bishop
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2007, 06:09:09 am »
My only advice is try it and see if it works. Experience is the best teacher, don't expect a perfect
bow at first. I don't know about the rest of ya but my mistakes teach me more than the successes ;D
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Offline nugget

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2007, 06:28:16 pm »
Yes! I have leaened alot from my mistakes which have been O' plenty.
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Life is not a journey to the grave with the intentions of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body. But rather to slide in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming....WOW WHAT A RIDE!!

Offline Pat B

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2007, 12:12:35 am »
Welcome Stikshooter. Lots of good advice already. Patience is your best tool!!! ;)    Pat
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a finnish native

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2007, 03:29:57 pm »
a hatchet. you will pick it up. use what you have available. That's what primitiveism is all about, it's not just sitting under a brush naked.
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Offline jwillis

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Re: Newbie bow question
« Reply #12 on: November 28, 2007, 04:24:34 pm »
Or use a sharp rock...lol!  Jim
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