What do you use?

[cylyntbowyer]

So what do you guys use to cut through your bow glass and riser window ? I was thinking about a designated bandsaw with a carbide tipped "metal" blade. I am tired of grinding all of the excess material from my limbs. One guy I know used a table saw for his limbs but not sure about everything else...
Any thoughts or recommendations?

[Jan Westphal]

Hacksaw with blades for metal is all I have, it takes 2 to 3 blades for a complete bow to cut out.

[Bowjunkie]

I use my bandsaw. I either use the blade that's on there if it's near the end of it's usefulness, or use an old one that I saved from the last time I changed out the blade.

[Pheonixarcher]

I have a horizontal belt / 8" disc combo, and use a 36 grit disc to take the limbs to rough profile. It chews material very quickly!  Then I use the Rigid oscillating belt sander with 60-80 grit belts to sand a straight, smooth edge to the line. It works quite well and rather quickly. Go slow and easy, and avoid getting the glass too hot. Then break the edges by hand with a sanding block.

For the riser rough profile and sight window cut out, I use a carbide tipped bandsaw blade. It works great! Be sure to tape your back glass and leave enough material to finish with rasps and files by hand because you can still get chipping and small splinters.

And don't forget to use proper dust collection, safety glasses, dust mask or respirator, and tight fitting clothing with long sleeves.  Fiberglass dust is terrible! And watch your fingers and knuckles!

[Roy from Pa]

A thin 4 inch cut off wheel on a hand held grinder works well too. Then clean it up to the line on a belt or edge sander. X's 2 on wearing protection.

[canopyboy]

Old bandsaw blades. Works great on limbs (cut from riser to tip to avoid splintering) even when dull. Riser it'll cut slow when dull and burn a little, so I just leave it heavy and clean up during final shaping.

[Robertfishes]

I have a 1980s 12" Craftsman band saw I got for $50 in 2009..it was used and cheap but in very good shape. I bought a carbide blade for it and use it for cutting sight Windows and other riser cuts after glue up. I still use my original carbide blade. I have a 16" Grizzly band saw for wood only work. I bought most of my equipment off of craigslist for pretty good prices.. I am still grinding the limb edges on a edge sander, first with a 36 grit belt close to the lines then with a 120 grit to the line. Then hand sanding if needed.

[jess stuart]

What I do is cut the sight window out before I glue up the bow.  I just wrap the cutout in plastic wrap reinsert in the riser and off to the hot box.  Only draw back is it pre determines which limb will be upper and lower.  Every now and then the tiller will be off a bit but nothing that can't be corrected.  I grind my limbs to shape on the edge sander and a 36 grit belt.  I do everything I can to keep my band saw blade away from glass.

[chackworth3]

I use a dull bandsaw blade for the sight window and a hacksaw to cut out the shelf. For the limbs I started using an old table saw blade and leave it wide to make room for the "just in case" and and take it SLOW. Then I grind off the rest with a belt sander. Like mentioned before, wear eye, breathing/face protection and some long sleeves. It sucks having your arms itch all day and the next day from getting fiberglass all over you...

[monterey]

I use a saber type saw to rough cut limb profiles.  The blade is the type that cuts on the up stroke.  The blade needs to be dipped in water about every two inches.

I used to do it with a hacksaw with the frame bent to about 30 degrees to keep it out of the way.  It's a good workable method, but the power tool is faster.  I still use the bent hacksaw to rough cut risers.

The whole thing gets final shaping on the Rigid oscillating sander.

My first few ASLs were built with hand tools only.  Hacksaw, rasps, files and glued up sanding boards. The only advantage to power tools is the time saving factor.  I bring that up for the benefit of any aspiring bowyer who may think themselves tool handicapped.

[Prometheus]

Do any of you guys have a vise you recommend to secure the bow while you work the limbs? I have a basic wood worker vise i picked up from home depot years ago, but im thinking that might not be ideal for this....

Thanks.

[bamboo]

overhead router arm--i cut a radius with a small bullnose bit just a hair shy of center
then grind out the window with the end wheel on an edge sander and fine tune with disc sander---

[bamboo]

the fixture on the table pivots---the overhead arm was a craigslist find--but could be a passable shop build could work just fine!--the radius at the shelf/window transition is a real time/work saver--and real neat and tidy!

[C. Johnson]

I don't cut the limbs to profile anymore.  I did this for years either with a bent frame hacksaw as Monterey describes, or with a bandsaw using a worn out blade.  Now, I grind them to profile with a 36 grit belt on my belt/disk sander combo.  Much easier.  A lot less squealing, smoking, and sparking.

As for the riser window, I still use the hacksaw method.  If I use a good quality, 18 TPI, bimetal blade, such as a Lennox for example, I can do the job in just a few minutes with very little effort.  I then use the spindle sander, files, and sand paper to finish it out.

[monterey]

I cut one a couple days ago with a farrier's rasp.  I did one initial cut straight in and 1/8" above the shelf line then attacked it with the rasp.  Took less than five minutes.  Gotta be careful cause it can do some serious removal.

Actually, the window was only part of the what I did.  Pretty much all of the riser was shaped with it.