From Utah. Meet Bossy, the Milked Bow.

[lebhuntfish]

I did away th the pencil  in my gizmo and just use the 6" block. I just watch the difference in the gaps between the block and the limb.

[The Gopher]

I wouldn't waste my money on a surform, by a good Farriers rasp and it will make life easy removing bulk wood, has a very aggressive side and the other not so aggressive, a 6"lockback knife will work for a scraper

i agree 100%

[JoJoDapyro]

Perhaps a slight set back. I built a bow stringer as shown on one of the how to's, and I guess my leather selection wasn't the finest. While attempting to put my string on with a 1' brace height, the leather tore, so not only did I basically dry fire the dang thing, but when it came off of the tiller tree it hit a nail, and slightly scarred the back of the bow. So my question is, do I need to back the bow if the back has a very slight indentation on the back where it struck the nail? I haven't drawn the bow, and don't plan on it until I get the word from the pros. Thanks again.

[Weylin]

lets see a pic of the damage. It might not be that bad from the description.

[Tyke]

Dude why didn't you come get some of my saddle leather

[JoJoDapyro]

Oh sure, now you tell me lol. I will tomorrow if we go. This stuff wasn't thin, just not the best I guess.

The Scar isn't a break in any of the wood, but it is a small dent, I'll post a picture tomorrow, I'm too lazy to up load and resize it now.

[JoJoDapyro]

Sorry for the delayed post. I have been busy with work, birthdays, and getting ready for guests from out of the country. Here is the photo of the small dent in my board bows back. My question to recap is does it look like it is bad enough to need to back the bow? Thanks again.

[JoJoDapyro]

So I have been scraping away, and cant seem to figure this out. Let me know what step to take next. The left limb is the bottom, and seems to have a hinge. Both limbs twist, the left limb twists back, and the right limb twists forward. Thanks again.

[lebhuntfish]

Ok, so as far as the back having the dent, if your worried about it put a backing on it like a brown paper bag. It's not too bad you could steam it out with a damp rag put over the dent them use a hot cloth iron and it will make the dent swell out. Them you could lightly sand it. Them wait a few day's for it to dry back out. 

If you think you have a hinge do not remove wood from that area at all until the rest of the limb is bending evenly.

If your limbs are twisting length wise check the thickness from side to side, you may be scraping crooked. Make sure you are scraping evenly. I will look for a picture on a post of mine that explains this really simply.

[lebhuntfish]

This was posted by Wiley as a response to one of my simular questions,

 "I assume that as you noticed it when you put it on the tillering tree your noticing this twist when you put stress on the limbs.

If it only shows up when you pull on it, one side is weaker than the other, the direction it is twisting is the weaker side, weaken the stronger side and it should stop twisting. If it's there without being on the tillering tree, it's more ofa heatcorrection.

Here is a helpful little image i found."

 

[JoJoDapyro]

Thanks. I assume it is because I am scraping crooked. As the limbs twist the same direction as the bow sits back down in my lap.

[lebhuntfish]

Yes, if you don't have a vise. Try clamping it down on a table and keep the back supported by said table. That way you can apply even pressure to the entire limb and you can see what you are doing better as well.  Take a few scrapes off the stiff side then recheck your tiller keep doing this till both limbs have straightened out and you bend is even again.

[JoJoDapyro]

A few questions this time. The board seems to be a bit stiffer than I had planned. Also upon working on it yesterday I noticed a small pit close to the back on the side of one limb. Will planing off this pit save the bow, and will reducing limb width also reduce total poundage? I would say it is near 60 to 70# at 24 inches at a 6 inch brace height.

[lebhuntfish]

Yes reducing the width will lower poundage, bow wood removal on the working portion of the limb will reduce the bows draw weight. It will also effect the tiller as well, be very careful.

How how wide are your limbs now? If your pulling that kind of weight with an unbacked board bow, that's pretty heavy in my opinion. If you want it that heavy you should put some kind of backing on it.  As many issues as you are having with blemishes on the back I would back it anyways! Get you some brown paper bags and back it with that, they are cheap and seam to work well. JMHO, Patrick

[JoJoDapyro]

This is the side profile of the limb. My limbs are 1 3/4 wide at the widest, down to about 3/8ths at the nocks. I don't want it to be that heavy, but that is how it has turned out. The thickness of the limbs is the full 3/4 through the handle (with 1/2 inch added) down to about 3/8th at the nocks. I feel like it could be thinner from side to side on the limbs, this pit is about 2/3 to the nock.