Where does the glass go?(AKA Help Ralph)

[rmorris]

So last night I got a call from my mother-in-law and she asked if I was expecting a package. I told her no and had her open for me since she said it was a long tube!

In the package was a roughed out Hackbverry stave!

 

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[rmorris]

I am not going to name the PA bowyer who out of the blue sent me this very generous gift, but I would like to publicly thank him and let everyone here know what nice people are here on TradGang!

I know nothing in the world when it comes to making a self bow so I am going to have a ton of questions and need help form you all.

Aside from having all the power tools needed to make glass bows; I have a few draw knives, some cabinet scrapes and a spoke shave now on order!

What other tools will I need?

Next, NM in the winter has a relative humidity form 5-8% and this bow came from what I can only assume much more humid place.

Do I need to take any steps ASAP to prevent checking or twisting as this stave acclimates to its new home?

I will be also building "The tillering Gismo" soon but would also like some in depth self-bow build alongs to start reading up on...

[So-Mo Archer]

Ralph, I have yet to try the selfbow myself, but I have found a good build along that takes the process from stave to bow. Since you're halfway there with that wicked awesome present, this may help.

The url for the build along is:

   http://***********.bowsite.com/TF/lw/thread2.cfm?forum=23&threadid=181950&messages=83&CATEGORY=4  

This one is for an ELB made from red cedar, but I feel it's pretty good stuff. Hope it helps you some, and good luck! Keep us posted.

[Dan Landis]

Ralph, if you have a drawknife, rasp, cabinet scraper, and some ambition, you have all you need to make a self bow. A heat gun to remove any twist or to add reflex comes in handy also. Decide on the style of bow you want to make and start removing wood slowly.  I usually build my hackberry bows around 1-3/4 to 2" at fades to just past mid limb, then taper to 1/2" tips.  Just my preferance.  I also heat treat the limbs, but due to the low humidity there it may not be necessary.

I really don't know how much the lower humidity will affect the wood.  Your stave has been drying for almost 2 years, if you have a postage scale or something like that, weigh it every few days to see if it looses any weight/moisture.  When it stops loosing weight, it should be ready to start floor tillering.  

Pearl Drums is one of the best when it comes to hackberry, hopefully he will have some suggestions to help you out.

[macbow]

Ed Scott is in NEw Mexico. I visited once. He kept all his staves and bows both complete and in progress in a box with a humidifier .

[Pat B]

If the back hasn't been sealed I'd spray it with shellac to prevent the possibility of it checking. Is your house humidified? If so keep the stave in there while not working on it.
  I've not worked hackberry yet but I would treat it lake any other whitewood.
  A rasp and scraper is about all you should need at this point. Don't worry about the twist. With that little bit you can just build the bow. The twist won't hurt anything.
  George Tsoukalas has a website that will take you step by step to get your bow built. If you run into problems or get stumped post pics here and ask questions.

[coaster500]

IMHO Ralph that is the perfect first selfbow wood ...  works real easy (I think a guy could make a bow with an axe and a good knife)and loves heat. Keep it wide and toast it good. My fastest bow so far is made of Hackberry...  I have helped 4 people make bows now and Hack is my go to wood,,,,

Just be carefull with those looooooong arms and a draw knife...  you'll und up with nothing but shavings        

  Love the stuff

Where's Drums he likes the stuff to,,,,,,

[DVSHUNTER]

Ralph,

Have fun.  Hackberry ain't bad. It is easy to work. Just try to thinkof the limbs in terms of thickness, like layers of actionwood, so are the rings of a tree young grasshopper. Forget the word straight and think more like flow. A selfbow flows from tip to tip. The limbs will be ever so slightly thicker the closer you get to the handle and flowing thinner out to the tips. No rough edges or sharp corners.  

Four inch handle.
Inch and three quarter wide fades.
Inch and a half wide at midlimb.
Half inch wide at the tips.
Sixty six or sixty eight inches ntn.
Five eights thick limb at the fades.
Thickness taper to half an inch thick tips.
Heat three inches of reflex.
Tiller

That's how I would start if I was building it.

Looks like a nice piece. If it seas from Roy make sure to wide it down first with gas to get the old man smell off it first.

[rmorris]

Thanks guys! I will let ya all know as soon as i get started.

Dave, I said a "nice guy" sent me this stave! That takes Roy out of the list of names.

If I got a package from ole Roy it would be a bamboo backed billy club with instructions on how to thump myself... I think I would just send it back without opening to avoid the old fart smell!

[Dan Landis]

Poor Ole Roy, he can't catch a break no how. I have to stick up for him, I live too close, he might actually come to see me.

[Roy from Pa]

Ya know I keep my mouth shut, don't type one thing in here and next thing ya know I'm getten ragged on again. I'm gonna send you two girls a special stave with vaseline and special instructions on where to stick em...        

[Frosty the Bowman]

Ralph,

Looks like nice wood to me, but what the heck do I know    

Roy,

Whats up?  They pick on you and your sending them stuff?  I stand up for you and I get bumkis, I gotta go cry now, thought we was becoming buds  :(

[jsweka]

                     

I can't even think of anything else to say....

[goobersan]

twistedstave.com/bowbuilding/videos
I thought this was the best build-along.
I"m not leaving glass for a while, however