Took the plung.

[huntnut]

I took the plung into bow building, I ordered Billets To Bow with Glenn St. Charles. I going to buy some tools this week so I can get started make me and my family some new toys for hunting and target pratice for my 2 boys. I have an abundance of Black locus and Osage, I'm going to stared makeing staves and getting them dried, but for now I will just order or find some dried hickory staves to start with. I'm thinking of makeing my owen wood arrods to out of the locus. So the addiction starts, big thanks guys. I will post picks of my first, when its finished.

[Adam Keiper]

Fantastic!  If you get some osage cut, you can reduce the drying time to weeks insteads of months or years if you remove the bark and sapwood, seal the back and ends heavily with shellac, trim the staves down to oversize bow dimensions, and keep the stave in a warm spot (hot box, car), or even in front of the A/C.  So while you're waiting on that hickory stave, but a couple of osage staves out and get them drying.  If you follow sound guidance and work methodically and deliberately, you'll make a great hunting bow on your first attempt.  Have fun!

[huntnut]

I was also thinking about trying a laminate bow, do I need any power tools to do them ie:( table saw, band saw, table planer) so I can rip my owen planks and thin out the lams?

[huntnut]

I've been reading back post it sounds as I need a 14" 1hp bandsaw. So heres and new quistion, If a really need to get a bigger bandsaw then the 12" 1/2hp I was looking at, do I need a table saw, or can I get by with rippinf my wood with the bandsaw? I was just going to get the cheap table top stuff but it sounds like those things are junk for hardwood.

[huntnut]

Yea all thatnk this one would work, its not a high doolar delta but it is a 14" 1hp
 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32208

[Cupcake]

James,
I would avoid the harbor freight saw.  For about $385 plus shipping the Grizzly 14" bandsaw is very hard to beat.  It is wise to not skimp on this kind of tool.
Kevin

[mmgrode]

You shouldn't need a table saw, any operation performed on a tablesaw can be done with a properly tuned bandsaw. I would definitely recommend sticking with 1 hp or over and 14" and, as Cupcake said, don't skimp on this tool. Cheers, Matt