finally started my newest selfbow

[Pat B]

Re: 2020---->What did ya do today?
« Reply #1184 on: December 29, 2020, 01:06:29 PM »
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I started removing the bark and sapwood off of a nice, 2 year old osage stave, my least favorite part of wood bow building. I'm planning on an ALB but will decide that once I get a good back ring exposed. This will be my first build in at least a year so y'all pray for me. 
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  I finally got some of this done today since the new bandsaw blades came in. I will post pics later. I'm going to document the whole process.   

[Minnesota Bill]

Thanks for showing us as you go. You have always done a good job at describing as you work. Really looking forward to this.
Bill

[Roy from Pa]

Looking forward to this, Pat.

 

[mmattockx]

I will post pics later. I'm going to document the whole process.   

Cool, it is always great to see a build along and learn new things.


Mark

[Pat B]

Here are a few pics and what I'm doing and will be doing...

This is the stave cut down to 2" wide. I removed the bark and sapwood.


one end grain


the other end grain


this is what I use to mark out the center line. It works great especially for irregular staves. First I cock it one direction and draw the line...


then I cock it the other direction and draw the line. Where the 2 lines split I draw a line between them.

[Pat B]

this is similar to a tillering Gizmo and can be used as one by screwing the pencil from the other side. When using it as a centering tool I cock it so each one of the dowels are touching the side of the stave while drawing the line...


this shows the center line and where it doubles...


here I've marked out the center of the stave from end to end and marked out my 4" handle. I will have 4" fades on this bow also and you can see those lines.


this is the handle and fade layout on one side of the stave. the back of the stave is at the top...


and finally the stave cut out with 3/4" thick limbs. I still have to find a good back ring so I left it extra thick.

[Pat B]

You will notice that there is some propeller twist in this stave. I'll try to build the bow with little of no heat correction but we'll just have to see when the time comes. Also the growth rings are pretty thin. There is one fairly good ring a few rings down that I may try to get to but again, we'll see. 

[Mad Max]

Nice Pat
Watching

[Roy from Pa]

Very informative, Pat.

I can use this info on the Osage stave Maxi gave me...

[Walt Francis]

Pat,
Looking good!

[Longcruise]

First time seeing the centering tool.  Very slick.

[Pat B]

The centering tool was my first attempt at a tillering Gizmo when Eric first came out with it years ago. Then I had the thought about making a centering tool. I can remove the pencil, flip the block over, reinstall the pencil and use it as a Gizmo. My only change for the centering tool would be to make it longer so it would accept a larger stave. I don't remember where I got the idea for the centering tool.

[Roy from Pa]

Pat, your centering tool.

Is it used because when a stave is split out of a log, the stave usually splits following the grain of the wood?

So your tool pretty much will follow the grain of the stave?

Or is it used to follow the center of a snaky stave?

[Pat B]

Both, Roy. With a straight, straight grained stave you can pull a chalk line. With irregular staves, snaky or otherwise irregular you have to visually follow the grain. This tool helps follow that grain. That's why you see the double lines because it is following irregular grain. This isn't an exact method but we aren't building Swiss watches but building a simple machine to achieve a simple task.

[Flem]

Awesome! Thanks for bringing us along

[Roy from Pa]

Ok I kind of thought so.

Thanks..

[Pat B]

Up til now I have removed the bark and sapwood, cut the stave to 2" it's full length, marked off the handle, riser and now I've started to chase a ring in earnest. Being that this stave has fairly thin rings I have to be careful. I draw a circle around each knot so I can keep away from them for now...


next I trace around my lowest back ring. This, I hope will be my back ring but it's too early to tell with thin rings.


you can see how confusing it could be without marking each ring.




To be able to see these thin rings well I view the stave from one end with the other end pointing to natural light. Even with our overcast rainy day outside natural light shows up the rings better than the flourescent and LED lighting in my shop.
The tools I'm using today are primarily a goose neck scraper, a flat scraper and occasionally a draw knife. Any time I expose the next ring I mark it. The lowest ring, when all is done will be my back ring. This is where patience and lots of pencil marks comes in handy.

[Roy from Pa]

 

[Pat B]

Still chasing that illusive back ring. As I go down a ring the one below is more concave making it a slow process. You might be able to see the concavity in this pic. I put the piece of wood across the limb to highlight it.

I started this morning at about 10 and worked until noon then back at it at 1 to 2:30, all the while chasing that good ring. I'll be back at it again soon. Still another couple of hours to go. Generally it doesn't take this ling but with the thin rings, knots(mostly pins) and the concave back the gooseneck has been my primary tool. Anyway, that's selfbow building.    More fun than a stick in the eye. 

[Mad Max]

I hate it when it's like that