Is there a bow in here?

[scrub-buster]

First bow questions.  I cut down a tree today and cut a section out.  It is currently 71" long and 7" across at the small end.  After splitting it, it is kind of twisted.  I split one half again and removed the bark and sapwood.  I plan on using this stave as practice, but if a usable bow comes out of it, great.  I don't know if I am waisting time on a chunk of wood that won't make a good bow. I am going to let it dry for a while before I do anything else.  Here are some pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

[scrub-buster]

Also, Does anyone have pictures of the hand tools you use to work on a stave.  The only thing I have so far is this old draw knife.

 

[LONGBOWKID]

YES THERE IS!

A couple of them actually...nice and straight, no twist...

Get to work! the drawknife and some files, rasps and sandpaper is all you need!

[elkshooter]

Send me one of those halves and I'll show you a couple of bows  

I'm kinda serious...if you want to sell a stave...let me know.

[scrub-buster]

Question.  I have some osage trees that were cut down 1 year ago and some that were cut down 4-5 years ago.  They were just dropped and left there.  If I find some straight pieces that don't have any cracks in them, would they be good for making bows?  Would I have to let them dry, or could I start working on them now?  Thanks for any knowledge on this.

[Roy Steele]

On the ones that were cut 4 or 5 yaers ago for sure.The ones cut a year ago depends on how big around they are.Still maybe unseasoned in the middle.
  As for your yes on those also.They will make a fine bow.I wish some of the staves I've used through the years dad looked that good.
   Go slow you'll do fine.

[Eric Krewson]

You can turn almost any osage into bow wood with a heat gun a some straightening time. Splicing the best parts of two rough staves will often make a premo stave.

Your older wood will be fine if the wood wasp larva and powder post beetles haven't invaded it. Treat it like green wood because it will still be unseasoned.

[razorback]

Make sure you seal the ends and the back of the bow very well. Take one down to near bow dimention which will allow it to dry quicker and enjoy. I am in the middle of my first Osage bow and my stave has way more "character" than yours does. I am using a draw knife almost exclusively to do most of my work, along with files and sandpaper. Enjoy and expect to develop a dependancy problem, its a good addiction.

[razorback]

Scrub-Buster, get that dang skate board out of your work area. One step back to admire your wonderful work and you have spoilt all of it with a trip to the emergency. roomroom         Not that I have ever done something stupid to spoil a good day in the shop  

[Pat B]

It looks like nice wood you have there. On the stave you removed the bark and sapwood, seal the back ASAP if you haven't already. Shellac or wood glue will work for this.
   Osage can lay on the ground without fungal worries...generally. You may have checking  or wood bores in it but you won't know until you split it. If it is already on the ground, that would be the first stuff I would split. Eliminate a few steps in the process that way.

[scrub-buster]

Thanks for the advice.  I sealed the ends and back with wood glue.  I am stopping on the way home from work in the morning to buy some shellac.  I plan on cutting some more pieces today if the weather holds up.  I noticed something while working on this.  It is very relaxing.  I was just sitting there using the draw knife and didn't have a thought in the world.  I wasn't worrying about money, work, or nothing.  Just me and a chunk of wood.  I was having so much fun, I lost track of time and was almost late getting the kids after school.

Does anyone use a shaving horse?  Someone suggested making one to use while working on the stave.  I looked up some plans and I think I have enough scrap wood to make one.

[Pat B]

I use a 5" vise for bark and sapwood removal and general wood reduction. Once I have a stave to floor tiller stage I use my shaving horse for tillering.

[razorback]

Look around to find a good design for a shaving horse. I made the one that is in the "how to" forum and could never get it to work well. If you have a colonial living history museum or such,they nearly alays have the genuine article or new models of old designs that work real well. I saw a great one at the Hancock Shaker Village in massachusetes and even had drawings and photo's e-mailed to me from the lady who ran the woodshop. Unfortunately my computer crashed and I lost them. oh well, I don't have room for one in my small shop anyway.

[George Tsoukalas]

That looks like good wood. There are buildalongs with tools on my site. Jawge
 http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/archer.html

[scrub-buster]

I worked some more on that stave.  I split it in half and am letting it dry for a while.  I went ahead and cut down 3 more trees and split them too.  My wife is wondering why I have a bunch of logs in the garage.  I built a shaving horse out of scap lumber, but It didn't hold the stave very steady.  I took some blocks of 4X4's and cut V's into them and I use a small ratchet strap to hold down the stave.  This works very well, the stave doesn't move at all.  I am going to try and mount a vise somewhere in the garage and use it.  Next, I need to make a tillering device.  I still don't know what kind of scraper everyone is using.  Does anyone have a picture of the scraper that you use for tillering?  I would really like to have all of the tools ready for when the stave is dry.  Thanks.

[Pat B]

Here are a few of my tillering tools. The rectangular metal piece at the bottom in my scraper. I also have a set of scrapers I bought from Lowe's with 4 different scrapers. You can remove the rivet from an old pair of scissors and use each half as a scraper.
 

[Eric Krewson]

Here are all my scrapers, some I use, some I don't.

From the left, Bowyers edge, nice scraper but never been able to get the chatter out of it. Mystic scraper, doesn't work well for me. Loyd's scraper(Gunsmith MO) great scraper, made many bows with it, takes a while to sharpen. Cabinet scrapers, absolutely necessary if you work osage, particularly the round nose one for working valleys and pins. And last, my favorite and the best for me, a half pair of scissors. I put the Accusharp scissors sharpener in the picture. Three swipes on your scissors with these and you have a perfect scraping edge complete with a hook.

 

I have all the expensive stuff but my half pair of scissors beats them all hands down. They really hog the wood off. I don't hold them one handed like in the picture.

 

[Aussie Stickbow Hunter]

The disposable blades from a thicknesser work well as scrapers too.

Jeff

[Cody Roiter]

Sure dose .Hell I have even used glass.. Works well....

Cody

[razorback]

I have been using my draw knife. I turned it upright and pull towards me with the bevel facing away from me. Works real well but just have to be careful when placing the knife on the wood that you don't nick the back. I make my swipes progressively longer, covering each start point with the next swipe and then do a careful last one or two to get all tool marks out.
Pat; I have also combined you centering tool and Eric's gizmo by drilling holes for pegs in the gizmo. When I want to find center I just slip the pegs in and whalla new tool.