posted
Looking good! The only thing we're NOT seeing is the pile of shavings on the floor! LOL
Posts: 123 | From: Hot Springs, SD | Registered: Dec 2008
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Pat B: I bet Kelly wishes you posted this 2 weeks ago! d;^) Nice build along, Joe. Lots of good info here. Too bad that open knot wasn't incorperated in the limb better! Oh well, nice stuff anyway. It will be cool to see how the 4 sides of a log compared to each other as bows. Do you have any predictions from what you see now?
I was just thinking man Joe makes it look easy. All I can say dont believe um it aint run if you aint done it run I say. For once you see the yellow stuff, it is done. I cant help but keep think of the other stave I got stashed in my office. Any Nice work Joe you did for in the same time it took me to do 6" But I am at my chosen ring
This would have be really nice 2 weeks ago. Again nice work Joe, Kelly
Posts: 3159 | From: Riley, KS | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I burn may shavings as I go... Its been a tradition for me since I began. Used to pile them up at first but, being a smoker I was always concerned about burning down my shed. Besides, I hate stepping all over them to get around the stave.
Better here
Than here
-------------------- >>--TGMM--> Family of the Bow Posts: 3836 | From: Ohio, South Point | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
joe, we use them to heat the shop, and only sweep every now and then. I personally love the crunching of shavings under my feet, but you really need to keep an eye on tools.
-------------------- "There is a natural mystic flowing through the air; if you listen carefully now you will hear." Bob Marley Posts: 2883 | From: O' Fallon, MO | Registered: Feb 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Every time I clean up shavings in my shop I find that tool I'd been looking for. Like having money in the bank! d;^)
-------------------- Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes! TGMM Family of the Bow Posts: 10072 | From: Brevard, NC. | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I used to have two amber flexible rulers for layout... Guess where they are! Joe may be on to something here.
-------------------- "There is a natural mystic flowing through the air; if you listen carefully now you will hear." Bob Marley Posts: 2883 | From: O' Fallon, MO | Registered: Feb 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
if i wasnt using the in-laws garage as my temporary shop , you better believe it would look like a sawmill in there. i used to work at a lumber yard and they were always griefing me about the mess i left behind. i always told them whats the use of having all that sawdust around if youre not going to use it...
i see a few shaving in that fire barrow that would haave made lovely tip accents. thanks...
lol
-hov
-------------------- ain't got no gas in it...mmmhmmm... Posts: 1351 | From: Youngstown Ohio | Registered: Sep 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
When tillering, I save the fine shavings in coffee cans. I take them camping and it makes great tender for starting fires. Great for early cold mornings!
-------------------- >>--TGMM--> Family of the Bow Posts: 3836 | From: Ohio, South Point | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yep, that's exactly what I do at first too. Rip and tear till you see yella wood, then stop...take a break.....and come back later when you are ready to take it easy. I almost get in a frenzy when removing bark and sapwood and my adrenaline really gets pumping, it's like a fast paced intense cardio workout.
I use my shavings for kindlin to start a fire in my wood stove, especially now since it's middle of January. I've got an entire trash can full of shavings and left overs so I started dumping mine in our trash burning barrel. Then they get burnt when it's time to burn the trash.
I was hoping you would do a bow build at some point Joe, I can't wait for more. I'll be watching this thread all the way through.
Are you gonna skin one of them when your done? That really gnarly one would make a great bow for some skins, but it's gonna be a bugger and fight you all the way to the bitter end! Be sure and eat your Wheaties before tackling that one!
-------------------- ~Varitas Vos Liberabit~ John 8:32 ~Genesis 27:3~ Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. Posts: 2867 | From: Missouri | Registered: Aug 2010
| IP: Logged |
The staves are ready to chase a ring on but first I need to deal with the checks in the wood at the end of the staves. These checks were caused by drying. The ends were sealed with shellac when they were cut but the ends still checked on the back of the staves but, not on the very ends??? This checking under the bark is another good reason to have staves 70" or more. You will still have length you can remove on each end and end up with a stave long enough for a bow.
Here you can see the checks that were not visible until the bark was removed. The checks or drying damage on one of the staves is around 6" long and needs removed.
I mark the stave with a pencil on the ends where the damage ends (away from the tip) and the good wood begins. Then measure from the 1st mark to the other end of the stave where the damage begins agian. At that time you'll know how long of a stave you have and decide how long to make each stave. Then I use a handsaw to cut the ends off at the pencil marks.
Here they are, all 4 staves cut to length and the checks removed. They are as follows 68", 67", 66" & 64" long.
Now that the staves have had their length reduced, it's time to chase the rings for each bows backing.
At first to chase a ring, I will stand a stave upright on the floor and clamp the top of the stave into the vise. Starting at the end or top of the stave, I'll use the drawknife with the beveled side down to remove a ring or two rings depending,,, to get down to my chosen ring. Once on top of the chosen ring, I chase that ring down each side of the stave.
Here I have outlined with a pencil the upper ring I am removing. I remove each side then go down the middle. Trying to only go 6" or 10" at a time. A good light or the right light angle is criticle for seeing the rings during this process. I find that the natural sunlight is best for this step. Being inside, I have a movable light source so I can move the light for the best veiw of the rings.
Once I have gone 12" to 18", I'll clamp the stave in the vise horizontaly to finish chasing the ring.
Once you've cleared the ring you want to chase, move the stave further up and into the vise. This keeps your work close to the vise and the light. The further away you work area is from the vise allows the wood stave to bounce and you'll have less control using the drawknife.
Continue using the drawknife beveled side down to chase the ring. Beveled side down allows for more control. Less wood is apt to be removed at any one pull on the DK preventing the DK from digging in and penetrating the chosen ring. Simply find the angle of the blade that when pulled on stedily, provides a lifting, sort of chattering of the wood as the upper ring pops loose from the ring you're chasing.
-------------------- >>--TGMM--> Family of the Bow Posts: 3836 | From: Ohio, South Point | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
joe, im not that skilled with a draw knife. i got to chasin a ring on bernies bow, got to the last layer of sapwood and went right to the scraper. you have a great thread goin. give me a call when ya get a chance , ruddy.
-------------------- " you have done well to keep your hair when so many are after it" Posts: 1560 | From: new bern,nc | Registered: Nov 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Just keep repeating the process of going down each side and then the middle.
Here I have come across a verticle crack in the backing or chosen ring. I use a pencil to mark the crack so I dont miss it later when laying out the bow or reducing the width of the stave. I don't want this crack ending up at the edge of the bow limb!
You can see to the right of my pencil mark; I will still have a couple good inches left to work with even if I completly remove the crack by reducing the width of left side of the stave to the crack.
The mark on this crack will also remind me not to clamp the stave down in the vise too hard in that area. Clamping it down hard in the vise in that area could break and split the stave even more.
At the very least the mark will remind me to fill the crack with some super glue!
Continue chasing the ring down the stave until you've gone clear to the other end.
Here at the end of the stave you can see what is left of the ring on top that I am removing. You can also see the second ring needing to be removed and in the circle drawn on the end of the stave is where the tip of my bow will probably end up being.
-------------------- >>--TGMM--> Family of the Bow Posts: 3836 | From: Ohio, South Point | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[laughing]](graemlins/laughing.gif)
![[bigsmyl]](graemlins/bigsmyl2.gif)
![[thumbsup]](graemlins/thumbsup.gif)
