Yew/Glass Bow Buildalong

[fletcharrows]

Next - check your form and make sure everything is ready. The hard surface the back will sit on should be clean and all of the locking bolts should be close at hand. Cover the backing surface of the mold with plastic. Don't use thin stuff like saran wrap as it can fold up and get between your laminations (I learned that the hard way).Tape it down out by the ends. When you are confident that everything is ready to go, wipe the glass lightly with a clean cloth dampened with acetone. Have a roll of strapping tape handy - and another length of plastic to protect the pneumatic hose.

fletch
 
 

[fletcharrows]

There are several types of glue that can be used. I use Smooth-On. Mix up your epoxy per manufacturers recomendations, with smooth-on it is 50/50. I mix up enough that it nearly fills a small cat food can. Don't get into a hurry - you have plenty of time to get through this step unless it is 100 degrees in your shop. If you have parellel lams - they should be part of the back. Lay each Layer down, beginning with the 72" piece of glass. Coat each surface with a thin even layer of epoxy before joining. Mark the center line of the last full length lam before you coat it with epoxy. Coat the long side of the riser and place it over the center line of the bow. The riser should also be marked. Before you lay down any belly lams, tape the handle down tightly with the strapping tape I said needed to be close at hand. I use at least two wraps over the handle to keep it in place. Continue putting on the belly lams using the same method of coating each and every surface with a thin layer of adhesive. After the last piece of glass is laid on, tape the lams in place at three or four tape points along the limb. This is done to keep all of the bows components lined up before and during the pressure application. Place the second piece of plastic over the lay-up and tape it into place.
 
 
 
 

[fletcharrows]

When you are sure the lay-up is secured to the form and cannot move and the plastic is over it, place the pressure plates on the limbs making sure not to run them up over the ends of the lams at the riser. Then place the air hose over the pressure plates. Next, carefully fit the top of the form down over the air hose and the recieving holes and insert the lock bolts and tighten them down. The next thing to do is make sure - one more time- that the lay-up is in the right place. Take care to check the alignment of the riser. That is the part that most moves for me. Attach an air line with 50 to 60 lbs. of air. I have my rig set up so that I keep a constant air supply to the bow frame. I dont have a bicyle stem like they suggest. I worry about leaks. With a constant air supply there is less chance of premature pressure release. Also, it seems that if you pump up the tube to 60 lbs, place it in a hot oven - the air pressure can rise dramatically with the heat and possibly cause glue joint starvation. When the air is applied and the lay-up looks good. Off we go and put it in the oven to bake for 4 hours at 140 to 150degrees.
 
 

[StanM]

Can't thank you enough for doing this.  Do you live in Vancouver, WA?  Just north of Portland?

Stan

[Windknot]

This is great! I can't wait to have a go at building a bow myself.

Thanks!!

[George Tsoukalas]

I'm still watching. Thank you for doing it.
Jawge

[fletcharrows]

You are all very welcome and yes I do live in washington. I am in fact about 5 miles North of Portland Oregon in Orchards, Wa. which is an Eastern burb of Vancouver. So far I must be doing a good job cuz there aren't many questions. I will continue.

fletch
PS - Stan - If you live close, you are welcome to make arrangements and use my shop.

[Roughcountry]

Still watching and learning. Keep up the good work Fletch, and thanks.

[fletcharrows]

When the baking is completed, take the bow frame from the oven, disconnect the air and remove the locking bolts. Put away the hose and pressure plates. I cannot stress enough that this step absolutely needs to be done while the bow is still warm. Waiting overnight will increase your work exponentially. Carefully cut away the tape that is holding the bow to the form. After the tape is cut away lift up the stave from the frame. At this point several small pieces of wood have become through your work - a bow stave. Also - the glue that has been speezed from the stave and cooked can be and usually is razor sharp. Use gloves when handling the stave until is has been cleaned up some. Head for the horizontal ot open drum sander and gring the excess glu from the edges of your stave. Try to true up the stave. You can put a line down the center if you need to. I use a power drum sander to true up my staves after grinding off the excess glue. The sander leaves the stave perfectly parellel. I ground this stave to 1 1/4" wide. The particulars of the stave are now on the riser - 69" overall by 1 1/4" wide.

hope this helps so far
fletch
 
 
 
 
 
 

[crosseye]

this is too neat...can't wait to see more

stan

[fletcharrows]

It seems that the photobucket server is very slow on the weekends and since my post has tons of photos - they are going very slowly. I will continue the post tomorrow when the server won't have so many folks using it and i can upload my images more quickly.

fletch

[Luke Vander Vennen]

I love these Bow Build-a-longs. Thanx a lot for doing it

P.S. This is my first time seeing a laminated bow being built. this is all really interesting

caveman

[fletcharrows]

Continuing on now that photobucket is running. I forgot the mention in the lst set that the reason you need to get all the glue and true up the stave is to get the tape off. Don't let the tape sit on the stave overnight. It turns to concrete and will make life awful--just, just awful. Now that the stave is together and is beginning to look like a bow, trim the ends of the stave to get a good flat end and 45 degree sand the corners or round the ends so you dont accidently peel the bow if you try to bend it. The bow can be bent at this time to make sure it doesnt pull several hundred pounds.Now, put a fresh layer of masking tape on the bow (both sides). this keeps you from scratching the glass and gives you something to draw on. Draw the tapers of the bow limbs on the tape. As seen in the pictures, draw the tips in at about 1/8" wider each side of the tips. this allows you to file in string nocks and still grind them back out if they are in the wrong spot. Cut out the outline on a bandsaw. You will require a blade of 6 to 10 teeth per inch and the glass will ruin it for cutting wood. You should be able to cut out several bows with it but it will be in bad shape. After you cut it out - measure out from the center of the riser to the length of your limb. In the case of this bow 33" (66" bow)from the center and put a mark - do the same on the other end. File in shallow nocks and brace it up. Measure the distance to the string at each end of the riser. If one measurement is more than the other, this end should become the top to save on sanding. Check to make sure the string runs down the center of the stave. If not then mark the tape as to which direction the nocks need to be filed. File the nocks until the string is in the center of the stave. After you determine the top limb - cut out the site window. The shelf is drawn to within 1/8" of the center. It can be cut farther but it is not necessary. then using the end of a horizontal sander with 50 grit, start roughing in your handle. I use a drum sander on the drill press to shape the shelf. To clean up the curves of the handle when you get close you can use a flap wheel sander.

fletch
     
     
   
     
     
     
     
     

[fletcharrows]

 

[Dano]

Real nice, there's some good character in that piece of yew.

[fletcharrows]

Now that the handle is taking shape and the bow is bending properly - peel back the paper a few inches from the ends and rough up the glass with 120 grit wet or dry and glue on material to make overlays. Make sure to put and even coat on all surface to be joined. It doesn't matter how wide the material is because it can be trimmed on the bandsaw. Do make sure that the overlay material is tapered to a point at one end to avoid heavy sanding where it fades into the limb. After the epoxy sets up - trim off excess and file in the finish location of the nocks. Then using the horizontal sander, finish the taper on the limbs and finish the file job on the nocks. then go ahead and shape the end of the limb. I recommend leaving enough material here to easily use a bow stringer.
We are nearly done --

fletch
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

[fletcharrows]

Most of what is left is sanding and finishing. Begin with 120 wet or dry and sand every inch of the bow glass with the grain. Especially take care to sand and smoothe the edges. then sand with 220 grit and maybe on to 400 grit. I have shot the first coat on the riser but it will be a few days before the bow is ready to be photograghed as finished. I will show you how I shaped the fades and where the glass ends. There are however, a couple of problems with the handle. As I said in the beginning - it could be a sweet or a bitter end. The next instalment will be how I dealt with what Dano called "good character".
fletch

[StanM]

Michael,

This has really been a great thread so far.  Thank you for taking the time to post.  Let me know when you have a free weekend and I'll come up if I can.  I've got the glass, laminations, riser and epoxy.  Don't have forms, but would like to build them.

Stan

[Roughcountry]

Thanks a bunch sir. great build along, wanted to be there watchin over your shoulder.

[Terry Riley]

Nice job on the build along Mike. Sure appreciate your time to share with everyone.

Terry