Cutting form out?

[britt]

I have a 9in. bandsaw but I think its going to be to small to cut-out form. Do you all recommend a 12in. bandsaw to cut form out and also to trim limbs. Or is possible to use my sawsall. Or maybe a bigger jig-saw? What are basic tools that I am going to need for building laminated longbow?

[kennym]

I like to use a router and bandsaw, like Justin did here....

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=011797


If you go up and click on the search up top and put in glass bow tools, you will get a LOT of info!!

[wood carver 2]

If you're going to square it up using a router and template, then you can cut it out any way that works for you. Just stay outside the lines. The router will get it square.
I have cut bamboo backed bows to shape with a sharp Japanese handsaw, but your bandsaw should be ok.
Dave

[KenH]

I recently made a rubber band form that was cut out inadvertently by someone else with a sabre saw rather than their bandsaw, and turned out, of course, not dead square.

The fubar was rectified by troweling on a thin layer of wood putty and using a steel L as a scraper to level the surface.

[Al Dean]

I see no reason a 9" saw won't work if that is what you have.  It is what I used on my first form.  Of course any cut is just to rough.  finish is with router or sander.

[Robertfishes]

This is a form I was building, all I had to do at this point was to trim back the top where the hose sticks out. At this point it looks I was gluing down the fiberglass strip for a gluing surface. At the time I had a 12" craftsman bandsaw and it would not allow me to cut the form due to not enough room between blade and saw riser. I also have problems with the weight of the form due to a disability I have.. So What I have to do when I make a form is this..I start out with a "blank" form, draw bow form onto blank, make a line 1 1/4" above that line ( room for laminations and fire hose) using a drill press I Drill the holes for the 4 sets of metal hold downs, then I drill 1/2" holes every inch in between the top half and bottom half, I then use my sawsall and cut form from hole to hole.. NOW the two halfs will fit in my bandsaw and I can cut near the form lines.. I then use one of my belt sanders with a 36 grit belt to sand 1/8 from the line, Now comes the part where you must be precise, I screw on the template and cut the last 1/8" with my router table with a 2" pattern making bit with bearing on bottom of the bit(from MLCS, catalog #7807). I know there is some extra steps with the way I make forms but this is the way I have to do it, and it works very well for me..  

[Robertfishes]

another form I made, you can see the straight line towards the bottom, that's the straight line for the template, you can see the mark I made for the glue surface and 1 1/4" above it is the line for the top of form..I did not draw a cut out for the riser yet.. bottom pic is the completed form, the fire hose height is consistant thru out the form, this form is still producing bows. I got the template from KennyM in 2009.