how y'all work your sight windows?

[fujimo]

seeing a sight window, as a rather criical, yet time-consuming exercise for a glass bow.
how do you guys/gals do them.

i saw Kenny had a kind of burring tool, for a press drill it looked like!
what else??
thanks in advance

[bigbob2]

i have several old used bandsaw blades , bimetal wood cutting types. Once they get a bit blunt I use them for cutting glass etc. I just change blade, couple minutes max, mark site window and cut it out leaving enough waste so i can radius the shelf are so its not a tight right angle.

[monterey]

Way back when I had very few tools I took an inexpensive hack saw frame and Bent the frame at a 45* angle.  Reason to bend it is so the frame Is out of the way as you cut.

Rough cut the window and shelf then clean up with coarse rasps.  A farrier's rasp makes very quick work of the final shaping but DO NOT RASP OVER THE EDGES AWAY FROM YOU!     The farrier's rasp itself leaves a lot of roughness to clean up. from there it's finer files and sanding blocks.

It's primitive but surprisingly fast.

[Wolftrail]

Originally posted by monterey:
Way back when I had very few tools I took an inexpensive hack saw frame and Bent the frame at a 45* angle.  Reason to bend it is so the frame Is out of the way as you cut.

Rough cut the window and shelf then clean up with coarse rasps.  A farrier's rasp makes very quick work of the final shaping but DO NOT RASP OVER THE EDGES AWAY FROM YOU!        The farrier's rasp itself leaves a lot of roughness to clean up. from there it's finer files and sanding blocks.

It's primitive but surprisingly fast.

+2

[C. Johnson]

Even though I have a bandsaw, I rough cut the sight window with a hacksaw equipped with a bi-metal blade.  I don't care what anybody says, an 18 tpi blade at hand cutting speed laughs at fiberglass and makes short work of the job.

Then, I use the oscillating sander, rasps, files, and sand paper to finish it out.

[fujimo]

thanks guys- thats kinda how i do them too- was just wondering if anyone  had devised some quicker, easier ways.
i find it such a critical point on the handle shaping- and can end up being quite time consuming.
thanks

[kennym]

I rough them in with an old blade on the tablesaw. Set to depth you want and freehand from back of saw so I can see. Only cut partway thru so you don't catch glass on other side and rip it off.

You can get most of it except at top of window, then 36 grit on belt sander takes care of that easily.

Then small round file to radius corner shelf/side plate area, then a flat file/rasp  to clean that up.

I'd like to have a CNC for it!

[kennym]

About 2/3 down the build is the tablesaw massacre....

 https://www.kennysarchery.com/bow-build/

[mwosborn]

I do like bigbob.

[jess stuart]

I just saw mine out before layup, take the piece I just cut out and wrap with plastic wrap and put it back in the riser.  After curing I just pop it out no fuss no muss.  Finish with rasps and spindle sander.

[kennym]

Jess, I may try that!

[Jerry Gille]

I've done it every way listed here except sawing it out before glue up. I free hand it on a table saw with an old blade like Kenny does mostly. But to be honest how I do it (hacksaw, bandsaw, or table saw) usually depends on how motivated I am to change a blade from something nice to something roached out. Some days  (lazy) it's just easier  to reach for the hacksaw. If you do the tablesaw route make sure you do as Kenny says or you are likely to tear glass out on the backside.

Awww...  C'mon Jess...  That's cheating...  You are taking all the fun out of it...      

[fujimo]

great tips all round- so much knowledge on this site.
many many thanks  

[jess stuart]

Shredd, I don't know about taking the fun out of it.  I just hate ruining a bandsaw blade after cutting about one inch of glass.  I began doing it this way years back as I had to order blades I didn't have a source locally.  I always hate the wait after I order something.

[fujimo]

i hear ya Jess!!
we live on an island 60 miles out in the Pacific, right off the north west corner of canada!
everything comes in on the overnight ferry, or gets barged in, nothing quick or cheap about living here.

cant just run down to the corner hardware store and pick up a new one of anything!!

[bigbob2]

Cutting with the bandsaw and an old blade takes couple minutes max, can cut as fine as you like and leaves little to clean up Old blade works just fine, does multiple bows.Change over between the blades also just couple minutes.

[Horsey]

If you use a carbide tipped bandsaw blade (Lennox tri-master) you can just cut out the shelf and sight window without any hassle.  The blade handles the glass with no problem.  I have cut out well over 100 bows with the blade that is currently on my saw.

--Mike

[Crooked Stic]

Kenny where did you get that tire ruffing tool?

[kennym]

Amazon

 https://www.amazon.com/Astro-235RASP-2-5-Buffing-Wheel/dp/B00CDDDDEW/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1517604555&sr=8-12&keywords=tire+repair+tools