Pesonal secrets to building selfbows without power tools?

[D. Tiller]

Anyone know where I can pick up a froe? Dont have the tools to make one myself.

[DanaM]

E-Bay, or just Google Froe, or go to Paleoplanet and say yer looking to buy one

[tom sawyer]

I occasionally see them on ebay.  You might ask around, maybe someone in your area is an amatuer blacksmith.  Or look online.  They can make a simple froe from a car leaf spring without much effort.

[welch2]

here's a few more froe pictures .I didn't carve Bob's handle , Kirby did.





It's a big cat in a tree ,stalkin' a pig.



And this is one I made from a car spring ,I use it a lot.





Ralph

[richpierce]

Like Tom Sawyer I like the flat-sided hatchet except mine is a broadaxe.  These really do the trick.  I get my bow pretty close with the broadaxe and can chase a ring with one if the rings are not too close.

I reduce my fresh cut staves to near bow dimensions (well, width anyway and leave an extra half to 3/4" on thickness) right away for faster seasoning and to take up less room.  On osage I always remove all sapwood.  I make chops in the sapwood on the sides of the outer surface so I can watch how deep I'm chopping, then take chops across the middle to match. Then with the broadaxe I can take off about all the sapwood in a hurry to the right depth, till i begin to see color peaking through.  Then I get the drawknife.

I never had luck removing sapwood on black locust before seasoning, so i don't anymore.  Removing it with the broadaxe is hard work when it's seasoned.

[D. Tiller]

Anyone ever use a toothing plane? I've never used one but have heard that it works much like a cabinet scraper. Is this true?

[welch2]

When you have places that a scraper or a drawknife ,will ride over or tear out , (like knots you have reduced on a belly ,or grain dips ) a toothing plane blade is better . Because the toothing plane blade will cut through such places evenly .As long as that's what you want .        Then you go back with your scraper and remove the toothing grooves.


Ralph

[tom sawyer]

I've had one for awhile, just got to use it the other day.  It works more like a fine rasp than a cabinet scraper.  The blade is at an angle similar to a scraper, it leaves the fine grooves like you get from using a hacksaw blade.  You can definitely use it to find your humps and bumps, as the plane body rides over the low spots and the blade only hits the high places.  Its a nice tool, if you can get one I'd recommend adding it to your toolbox.  Especially if you make laminated bows.