The Traveling Caul Design **Clamp Problem Resolved*Final Pics, Project Complete**

[DVSHUNTER]

semo- it looks good. I cut mine smaller like lee said. That way I can use smaller clamps. Your clamps look fine though. Now heat some bows.

[ranger 3]

Harbor freight sells the three way

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Lee I decided to take your idea with the holes and run with it, hope you don't mind.
I decided that all new clamps was too costly, even the materials and time to build them myself was too much. So I went with 1 1/8" holes 2.250" deep, every 4" from center and ended up with 15 holes total 7 on each side plus the one in dead center. This should more than be enough to get the job done and I can use standard 4" and even 3" clamps.

For the layout I set my 6" square to 1.750" and traced a line following the curvature of the caul from the top side, then measured every 4" out from center. That way I was sure there would be plenty of meat to prevent breakage of my caul when I tighten down the clamps and I can still use a 3" clamp.

The black clamps in the pic are 3" and the red one is a 4" clamp. Both will work just fine and when the tool sale comes to town shortly I'll pick up some more. I've almost got enough but some of them are old and should be replaced anyway.
Here's the pics of the final product.

 

 

 

Does anybody else's Father own a set of Forstner Bits?? Mine does and these things are like hole saws on Steroids!! Wow!      

Much, much nicer than hole saws and I was able to do it all on the drill press. Made some really nice, smooth, pretty 1 1/8" holes.....no sanding required.    :cool:  

 


That's it now, this Project is Complete!!
Hope you all enjoyed my Caul Build, thanks for watching!
     

~SEMO HUNTER~

[Lee Slikkers]

Forsner's rock, I have 1 but it isn't large enough for a clamp hole.  It's a 1" that I used to hollow out my wooden Duck Decoys when I used to carve and hunt over my own blocks.

You did a very nice job on that Caul Chris...I bet it will serve you well.  I need to get cracking on mine...I had hoped to make it this afternoon BUT my Osage run kind of side tracked my day.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Thanks Lee, I'm sure it will out last me. LOL

You'll have plenty of time to build your caul, get that Osage on the ground and get it home while you can. The caul can wait.

I used a 1 1/8" bit and I have plenty of room to spare on a 3" clamp base, you might want to drill a hole in a scrap piece of wood and check it? It might just work for ya?

[Roy from Pa]

Ya need to clean that shop son:)

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by Roy from Pa:
Ya need to clean that shop son:)

If I did that I wouldn't be able to find anything Roy. I got it all organized just so I know where everything is at right now. It took me years to get it to this point.  

[Living_waters]

I made a half caul a few months ago, and I have found the easiest way of heating a limb to work. They say poverty is a good motivator,I tried a blow dryer since I didn't have a working heat gun with no luck (didn't figure it would)so I came up with this set up. I took an infrared patio heater(like    this  ) and hung it over a set of saw horses holding my blank and caul, focused it over the limb and went and had a cup of coffee, the infrared heat doesn't scorch and heats more even than a heat gun. By raising and lowering the heater I can adjust the amount heat that is transmitted to the stave. Got picks on my phone of a really gnarly stave and the finished result will post it later.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Poverty is a good motivator......I like that.
Necessity is the mother of invention, I think it should also say poverty is the motivation for invention.      

I got lucky and found a dual temp heat gun at Northern Tools for $25 bucks and free shipping, they also take paypal so I lucked out.
It works like a champ and gets real hot real quick.

[Living_waters]

after two trips to the trash can with my non working tools I came in and considered buying one of those from northern tools but I was afraid it wouldn't work, read to many of the bad reviews of naa sayers saying you get what you pay for. Oh well when I need one i will know where to get it.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

So far mine has worked extremely well and I'm quite pleased with it. I just straightened some river cane with it not too long ago. It came with a bunch of attachments for the end and a carrying case. It's also got a 24 month warrenty and I got free shipping. They may still have free shipping on all power tools? That's a good deal right there cause shipping can eat ya alive sometimes.

[Lee Slikkers]

Hey Stiks, I'm dropping the "Traveling Caul" pattern in the mail tomorrow for you so you should see it in a day or two...

I guess you get to hang onto it until someone posts on here and asks for it since you were the only one who requested it.     :confused:  

Thanks again DVS & Semo, I can't wait to put mine to good use in the next couple weeks.    

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by Lee Slikkers:
Hey Stiks, I'm dropping the "Traveling Caul" pattern in the mail tomorrow for you so you should see it in a day or two...

I guess you get to hang onto it until someone posts on here and asks for it since you were the only one who requested it.      :confused:    

Thanks again DVS & Semo, I can't wait to put mine to good use in the next couple weeks.        

So I assume that you got it built?
Where's the pics? We gotta have pics man!  

[Lee Slikkers]

LOL, I'll shoot some tomorrow when I have some decent light in the "man cave"...can't wait to reduce a few Osage staves and put one on it!  (my osage is a bit green yet though so it may be longer than I'd like...)

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Sounds great Lee, Just in time for my trade bow. I had a couple ideas for trade bow but this came up and I figured I would wait till I got the pattern and do a sweet little R/D bow for my recipient.

 Stiks

[Bryan Bondurant]

Where do you sign up to use the caul pattern? Im trying to round up some cured staves now to work on and need to build a caul. Before I was just going to guesstimate but it would be nice to have proven measurements to start out with.

I really enjoy looking at all the pictures and reading about the projects, very inspirational as my first attempt at making a bow was a complete bust.

[Lee Slikkers]

Bryan, drop me a PM or email with your Name, address, etc and I'll make sure Stiks get the info so he knows who to pass it along too.

Thanks~

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Looks like we are all going to be trying this new caul pattern out real soon?
I'm going to put my to use very shortly. I'll be sure to post some pics of how it turns out.

[Lee Slikkers]

I hope so too but the Osage stave I've been chasing a ring on and reducing was only cut 2 months ago and from all I've been able to read/find that this is too soon to really start turning it into a bow.  Maybe if I build a "steam machine" or a Heat Box I could move it along a bit faster?

Here are some pics of my completed Caul from DVS's design plus a shot of the Osage stave I hope to use on it...

     

   

   

       

Many thanks again guys    

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Looks real good to me Lee!