62" R/D build along (with a lot of pic )

[andrianyuga]

Hi everyone..
this is my first time bow build along, after 3 months preparing material and simple tools to make it..

I have 2 weeks to build this, before back to work for a month  :D

I decide to R/D, cause i think looks simple, sorry for my English and measurements standard, in my country we use meter,centimeter, and milimeter

So here it is..


  Part 1 : Preparing The laminations

Okay, first i bought some hard mahogani for about 2.5 meters long, 1.5 cm thick and 4 cm width, this woods is scrap from wooden doors and windows maker,so i get it very cheap  :D

 

i prepare 4 mm on my table saw to cut it,cause i will get for 3 mm or 2mm thick on my drum sander
( i don't have bandsaw, its very expensive here, about $ 500 in USD )

 
 

Okay, first i cut and try with low quality wood at the same thickness

 
 

everything is okay, and count my finger still 5..lol

Next, i cut with good quality wood with the same way, and the result like this

 

not too straight cut, but i'll fix it on my drum sander

[andrianyuga]

My drum sander, i made from 1/2 hp old waterpump with a little modification
Here it is :
 
 
 
 
 

and the result is something like this

 

For comparison :
- Both upper and bottom woodstrip is 4 mm thick
- Center part is 2 mm thick

I cut the woodstrip for 85cm long, and also cut a pair of bamboo for backed ( not symetrical node  :(  )

 

[Trux Turning]

Nice! I love these build alongs!

[andrianyuga]

Edge sanding for joining

 

Is DONE..for preparing the laminations  


  Part 2 : Riser Making  

Okay, for the riser i using one of Indonesian hardwood,, Kempas wood ( Koompassia Mallacensis ).. I cut for 40 cm to prevent failure at fade out making, in fact i want it for 35 cm long

 

Top is durian wood, bottom is kempas wood,i draw the pattern based from the web..


 

the size is too far from the pattern huh..??
i will add some wood strip to fix the size later..

 

[andrianyuga]

after that, i use simple tools to make this shape...guess what??an AXE  :D
 

rough shape cutting outside the line

 

Very very ugly shape:(

 

Now, lets the drum sander do the miracle..

   

 

did you see that? still not symetrical..

 

after a lot of work..i get this paper thin shape..yes!!! perfecto..!!!  :D

[canopyboy]

Wow, that's impressive! I can't wait for more.

[BenM]

I can hardly make a riser with a bandsaw let alone an axe!

[rich k]

Simple tools plus talent - amazing. I look forward to more.
Nice work Adrian

[chackworth3]

Wow that is impressive

[bigbob2]

great lot of ingenuity there. You're not too far from my country either, few thousand K's to the north.I will be watching this with great interest  to follow the outcome.

[andrianyuga]

For fit the size of riser..i cut some pieces of Meranti + Mahogani wood and gluing with titebond

 

and let cure over night

 

 

cut with my hacksaw

 

Sanding the fade

 

 

DONE....!!

[andrianyuga]

Part 3 Gluing

First, so hard to find clear glass or Bo tuff here, even in Jakarta..we must buy online from US and pay more for customs tax and shipping ( hopeless )

So, i research alternative material to replace it..I found this grey stuff

 

Guess what..?? this is   PVC SHEET 2 mm thick  :D

I bought it from local supplier for $ 15 with 2 meters x 1 meter size.. if works i have so many PVC lam..

 

I cut same size with my cutter knife

 

Scratch the inside to maximum glue joining

 

 

[mikkekeswick]

PVC lams.....
I'm interested to see how this turns out!

[andrianyuga]

Scratch bamboo strip too..
 

Preparing the glue..
there is no Smooth On here also..i using local epoxy which no need heatbox,it cure for 4 hours in room temperature

my motto : " if you don't try, you failed..."  :D

 

mix the epoxy

 

 

Sorry no pic during gluing process..cause epoxy everywhere, it's hard to taking picture while your glove sticky with this stuff..the worse part bow building i think

 

 

 

very simple R/D bow form

[LESKEN2011]

I am anxious to see how this turns out! Nice job, so far!!  

[andrianyuga]

after cure over night

 

fresh from the jig, not from the oven

 

I have little problem here..lam has separated and glue has little gap at the fade..OMG

 

Let me think the way to fix it later..

clean the sharp epoxy

 

[Buemaker]

Most interesting. Do you have the pvc strip only on the belly and bamboo on the back? Bue--.

[andrianyuga]

Bue --> yes it is..because the epoxy isn't like Smooth On epoxy which more flexible..my epoxy has a little flexibility

There's no Smooth On Here.. :(

[peanut39350]

looking good so far I'm anxious to see how it turns out

[andrianyuga]

shaping the limbs..not too perfect i'll fix it later after tillering
 
 

not bad for beginner  :D


Next..string groove making

i mark the string groove 2 cm from the tips

 

 

Sanding the bamboo surface

 

piece of mahogani woodstrip -> 2mm white acyrilic -> merbau woodstrip -> mahogani  ( 4 layers )