Band saw tiller

[JonW]

It's not about being fast for me. It's about taking the least amount of toll on my body. Why don't all you naysayers walk everywhere you go? Why use a telephone to communicate. Go see the person. How can you be "primitive" and use a computer to brag about how primitive you are?

[BowEd]

Nobodys' talking stone tools only here that I read.

[JonW]

No Ed you are right. The original poster asked about other's experiences with band saw tillering. Somehow it got to be about an opinion on the way to make a "primitive" bow. I don't care what a person uses to get to a finished product. I know I can use power tools to do it.

[Badger]

  I used to use my bandsaw to floor tiller. Now being retired I value the excersize. It takes me about 1 1/2 hours more to make a bow using nothing but a draw knife and no power tools and at this stage in my life building a little muscle is more important than saving time. If I get one of those occassional nasty staves that tend to tear out with a draw knife I still am grateful for having a bandsaw.

[Stick Bender]

You know the way I look at it when it comes to making things out of wood , I use what ever tool I can in my shop from Victorian shaper plains  to band saws or any other tool I have collected over the last 40 years the bottom line is to end up with a solid end product , but if I have a lot of time on my hands I do enjoy the intimacy of hand tools especially the real vintage ones , but I try to keep proficient with all of them.

[Pat B]

...and I do prefer to walk when I can and not drive.
Nobody on this board makes primitive bows. I doubt we have the mentality to do so anymore. Too much water under the technical bridge for that. If you want to use power tools to tiller your wood bows than have at it. That is your puragative. If you make a statement here on PA you had better be ready for the answers you get, good, bad or indifferent.

[DuBois]

My first few bows I used only a hatchet, 4 way rasp, and lock blade knife until sanding for finish. I didn't realize how great a great scraper is and once I did I was kicking myself for not trying one sooner.

I had a band saw for about a year and got tired of the mess and upkeep and space it took up. I have gotten to where I just want something to be as simple as possible to make bows.

Tillered a couple recently that I did using a upright mirror and just pulling string while sighting down the limbs and I like this method best.

Sure does cut down on the till tree on/off time 

[JonW]

If you are referring to me Pat, I am always ready for answers. That is why I have my own.

...and I will use my power tools.

[paulsemp]

I've made my bows totally by hand from day one 24 years. Draw knife, rasps, sand paper. I like to think I put a little heart,soul and sweat into my bows. If only for me. Cant see how anyone can put anything into there bows by plugging the band saw in. You might  has well by a plain ed down board.

  Not trying to crack on you but your missing out on a lot,lot of wood working experience. Lot of just learning about wood,bows, yourself.  We all never have enough of ant of that.

  And if you only have 3 hours a week to have for yourself. I don't care how you live but 3 hour's son you need to change your life style. I lose that long to short timers a week.

  Hell I don't come home for 3 days lots of sometimes. If I told my old lady I'll be back in 3 hours she'd hit the floor when I slammed the door leaving. NOTE PHONE CALL I'M GONE.

   SORRY CAN'T SEE ANYTING PRIMITIVE IN A BAND SAW. Couple Indians setting around the camp fire. Two get in a fight over who's next in line for the band saw.

  SORRY I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING PRIMITIVE IN PLUGGING IN A BAND SAW.  None of this matters to anybody but you. Have fun your way.

I love how this guy's the first one to jump in and mock people and how they do things. I also love how he romanticizes what stone age people did. I love primitive skills and primitive weaponry but there's a reason why it fell by the wayside. Almost all primitive people jumped on technology first chance they got.  If you had the ability to disappear for days on end  you do not live like most people. I have a job, a family and lots of responsibilities that do not allow me to disappear. Myself also only has few hours a week in the shop and I make things however I want and encourage the rest of you to do the same regardless of what Mr primitive says....

[Badger]

   Sometimes I cringe with self embarrasement when I see these threads. When I was first starting I wanted to mass produce bows, I have no idea why I was just on a bow making binge for a few years. I tried to duplicate the mass production processes I learned in industry and saw no logic at all in wasting anytime making a bow. As the years went by I found myself more and more enjoying the process and the physical excersize of using hand tools. I still value the old mass production days because I was able to test one theory after another or one experiment after another. I say do whatever the hell it is you like doing, it may change over time but whatever you do enjoy it.

[bubby]

I agree pauly, heck I've made bows with axes before but with my wrists it makes no sense, I'm not so sure rasps and drawknifes are truly primitive anyway. Some people just like to spout off i guess

[paulsemp]

Heck I make all my bows by hand with basically no power tools. But when I grab anyone of my hand tools I know by definition primitive is out the window. I prefer to make a bow with a hatchet but I never say someone who does different does not know how to to enjoy it. Sorry for the rant but he seems to not share information but to display it as the one and only way which is not what I believe this site is all about.

[JonW]

I can't find the "like" button....

[GB]

I hear you guys who only have an hour or two here and there to work on your bow.  Me too.  I don't have a bandsaw, but I do have a table saw and heavy duty jig saw that I rely on for roughing in my bows.  On the rare weekend evening after I've done the to-do list, I do enjoy roughing in a stave with a hatchet 'cuz it gives me a nice, peaceful feeling.  Every bow I make is from a combination of power and hand tools.  I like what they both have to offer.

[Stick Bender]

When I started this thread I thought I was going to get some input on machine set up or blade combos,technic & such, but I got so much more Lol, I agree with Pauly & badger what ever tools I use I just try to enjoy and get a sence of self satisfaction , glad to know I'm not alone on the no time thing but it's good to see every body's opinions