Trying to make my first bow, and have lots of question. using Eric’s tillering gismo

[KellyG]

Now that deer season is over I would like to start shaping my stave into a bow. So I might be able to give up my training wheels.  It is a 68” long piece of hickory. I have drawn a pattern in pencil on the back.

Handle 4” long centered and 13/8” thick
3” on top and bottom of handle to the limbs
Limbs start at 2” wide and taper straight too .5” at nocks.

I would like it to pull about 50lbs at 27”. I have chosen this design because it seem like it would be a little easier to tiller. From what I have read the limbs would have near the same thickness from lower to knock. Plus I would like to use a band saw to cut to with in 1/8” of my pattern.

Will this work and how thick should I start my limbs out at?

Thanks
KellyG

[Osagetree]

Band saw will get the outline cut out, just go slow and be careful.
I would suggest starting with a 5/8 to 3/4 thick and reduce from there to get the draw wieght you want.  
I've never worked hickory, so you may want someone else to reply and not just settle for my advice.

[KellyG]

Thanks Osagetree

[Luke Vander Vennen]

That should work    

Keep us posted

[Shakes.602]

What does a Guy use if he has No BandSaw? And no way to Use someone Elses?? Just "Whittle" it down as Close you can get it??  :confused:  
   Just wondering, and the Bow sounds Good Kelly, Hickory is Tough Stuff!!! People us it for Backing and such.  

[KellyG]

Thanks and I should be able to start cutting tomarrow it the weather is good.

[Ol Man]

I do not have a bandsaw either - I use my wood rasp for almost all my work.. Osage, Hickory, Bamboo etc.
Have made several Hickory bows and BBH as well.  It will be slow going but it is good therapy.

When I get close I switch to my scraper and go slow.

Good luck..

[Shakes.602]

I kinda' figured between all the Wood Removal Tools I have, I could get it Accomplished! Thanks Ol' Man!!
  Time is What I have the Most Of, so if it takes me LOTS of "Therapy" I can see which tool works better than another!!

[KellyG]

Well I got some wood removed off the limbs. I want try to take it any closer until I get some of the thickness. I will try to do that some time tomorrow.  As for the band saw it was a X-mass present from my in-laws. I think it is a little small for the job, because the blade kept turning out, making my limbs wavy for now. I will clean them up with hand tools later. If I get it thinned tomorrow I will take Pics and post them.

Thanks for yalls advice

[KellyG]

Ok next question. The wood has twisted slightly while drying. When should I try to straighten it? I have the limbs in the shape and width; have just one more edge to rasp down. I have not started to take any depth off yet. Nor have I cut out my handle shape. Should I wait and straighten them after getting some of the depth off?
 I will post some Pics tomorrow of what I have done.  The band saw really saved me some time in getting off a lot of excess wood.

[KellyG]

The first PIC just shows how much wood was there when I started.

 

This PIC show how much has been removed, and the twist/bend.

 

Here is what a limb that I have gotten close to where the taper needs to be. Only about 1/8thinch needs to come off one side and the taper will be complete on this end.

 

This is what is left of the band saw wobbles in the wood almost got this limb done to.

 

[Osagetree]

Looking good!

[Osagetree]

Get the stave down to the profile outlines on the back of the bow first, but leave alone all wood mass at the handle area. Then thin down the stave thickness until you get to 5/8" to 3/4" thick from the fades to the tips. Then you can start straightening the limbs with heat or steam.

After you think the limbs are straight enough, then remove wood from the handle to line up your bowstring where you want it in the handle area.  Now,,, get to it and post some more pics of your progress!

[Buemaker]

If the stave bend a little sideways it is no big deal, just make a centershot bow. Just to see what I could get away with I have made bows with a rather severe  sideways bend, and they shoot just fine. You can also make an adjustment when your bow is getting close to completion.On the outer half or third of the bowlimb remove a little wood on the belly of the opposite side of the bend. Wood will bend to it`s weekest side so this will straigthen it up a little. When making Yew bows where the stave is seldom straight we use this method quite often. Don`t forget to show us the finished product.  Bue--.

[KellyG]

Thanks,

of course I will add more PICS

[KellyG]

Here are a few more PIC’s. The 1st shows the pattern I laid out for the handle on the back.

 

This is the side view of the handle layout. Either of these layouts may and probably will change. It just gives me a ruff ideal of what I what the end product to look like. I will probably round the transition area from handle to limb a little more than just keeping straight.

 

Here I have cut down my limb thickness with a band saw. If you look close you will see my lines, I tried to stay about a ¼” from it. I will take it down with a rasp from here. I am just working on limb thickness for now. I stayed a way from my handle area, but the roundness is what I will try to do once working on the handle if I can. I need to take a little twist out of one of the limbs. Once brought to the suggested ¾”.

 

A close up of the tip of the limb.

 

In this one you can see the limb and the guide line that is ¾” from the back.

 

Once I get the limb rasped down t to the starting thickness I will post more PIC. I started rasping this morning but my honey due list need some attention also.      

Please any and all suggestions are enraged and welcomed one the work already done, or the lay out.

[KellyG]

Here is my progress this far. I have the limbs tapered and down to 3/4in thickness. I now need to the minor twist and bend out of the limbs. I plan on clamping the limb down against a straight edge; then us a heat gun and heat it up. Will this work?

The PIC shows the thickness of the limbs. Oh ya it will flex now also not much but my slow work is starting to show.


 

[Osagetree]

[KellyG]

Thanks, I did not notice that. Is there apart of the bow you would like to see or is it just an over all pic of the whole bow from different angles what you need?

[KellyG]

Added the bracket so fixed the PIC, thanks again for pointing it out.