New bowyer

[horsetooth]

hello everyone, Im a virgin bowyer getting ready to build my first bow. I have been a woodworker my whole life, and now I am inspired to create a bow.
I have been reading the Bowyers Bible and pouring over the internet trying to educate myself as much as possible, but now I think I just need some hands on.

My first bow is planned to be a hickory board bow.

My question to all of you is abound biased and edge ringed board staves.
I have found the best hickory "1x"2 I could find given my knowledge and source. i think it's a decent board. Im shooting for a low wieght, #30-#40 with length detemined after I read a little more in the TBB.

How does each not violate wood fibres? Or is this technically a violation, but with hickory or backed bows this ring violation is jsut not an issue?

Thanks, I will post many pics wonce I start making saw dust!

[Jomohr84]

Howdy and welcome to the bench!
 
         
         Flat-ringed boards should yield the safest bows, but try to find a board with the least amount of grain run off as possible and go for it. I am currently making a youth bow from a bias ringed red oak board, so we'll see how it turns out, I'm just about to start tillering.   Some of the vets here can probably tell you much more, but I say find the best board you can and start working, you'll learn a lot from the first bows you make.
 
        Hickory is great bow wood, very strong in tension and I have read that hickory board bows even with violations are ok, especially at lower draw weights, so edge or bias ringed boards may be ok.  But Personally I would still try for flat ringed or a board with as few runoffs as possible.

[Jomohr84]

Check out the chapter on board bows in TBB vol. 2, it says a lot about grain orientation in boards. It talks about edge and bias ringed boards, and if I understand it right, they are  ok to use as long as the longitudinal wood fibers aren't stepped through on the back, I.E. they run the entire length of the board without being severed.

[KHALVERSON]

horsetooth
kinda like this hickory board bow
this was my second attempt the first board bow from red oak went down in flames
too much run off
its pretty easy to do with a great resource like tg and all the tallented people here
kevin
 
 

[red hill]

Horsetooth, will your bow be backed? I would put a hickory backing of 1/8" on it if possible. With a backing you shouldn't have to worry as much about run-offs and knots.
Welcome and have fun.

[macbow]

Like red hill said.
If you have a band saw slice off a little over 1/8 inch slat.then swing it around 180 degrees. By the time you sand it should be,about 1/8 inch.
This is just one way to do it.

[macbow]

Like red hill said.
If you have a band saw slice off a little over 1/8 inch slat.then swing it around 180 degrees end for end. By the time you sand it should be,about 1/8 inch.
This is just one way to do it.

[horsetooth]

Thanks for all the tips! can't wait to post some progress. macbow, that is a really good idea to slice and swap.

[horsetooth]

here is the board I have.
man the posting pictures on this forum is a major pain in the ......
   http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/horsetoothy/DSCN1293.jpg  

   http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/horsetoothy/DSCN1281.jpg      http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o635/horsetoothy/DSCN1284.jpg

[horsetooth]

That might be all you get!

Posting pictures is such a major hassle...

Not sure if its worth it.

[KellyG]

horsetooth,

Trust me posting pics is easy once you get the hang of it. But it is will worth the efforts in the end. The bowyers on here can see what you are doing and help you fix it. Heck some will pull your pic and draw all over it to help you better understand whats going on. POST PICS AND LOTS OF THEM. It may help you from making a fetal mistake in your bow.

[Jomohr84]

I agree, once you start tillering, post lots of pics with any questions you might have and these guys will be able to help. I find that sometimes others see things that I don't, and it can be a tremendous help. This forum could well be a bowyers school with all the info and help, given freely, we really are very lucky to have such great folks on here that are so willing to give their time, knowledge and camaraderie.  If you want to make bows, this is the place to learn.

[horsetooth]

OK,
Im going to need some help with photobucket.
The new format of photobucket is not like the tutorial listed.
Does anyone know how to make photobucket automatically resize photos when they are uploaded using the current version of photobucket?

[red hill]

Kelly, I think he's trying to make a bow, not a baby. LOL

[horsetooth]

Not trying to make a baby, but getting lots of practice