Newbie with questions

[Kirk32256]

Hello and I am glad I was put on to this place by a friend. I guess I got into this backwards in that I first made a bow and now I need to learn to shoot it ( found it in a junk shop as a half done blank.)
 I know the spine of my current arrows is to light and I am going to be making a new shorter string for it to get a better draw and speed from it. The blank had to area for a grip so I need to add one, how should I go about this. I tillered it according to the directions in The Book of Buckskinning, and it seems to be okay. I know I can do better though.

How should I tune it and how what equipment do I need to get decent results. I am really having fun with it right now

Also it is Fall and I have 13 heavily wooded acres but no Osage, I have cedar red oak, white oak and hickory, which should I cut for staves and how do I season them?

Thanks for the help in advance.

This is a real kick, btw

Kirk

Liberty Hill SC

[bushytail]

They say hickory is a good wood for a rookie to start out with.That`s what i made my 1st one out of.And it`s still together.Cut a straight section out of the tree,split it in about 4 staves[or more depending on the size of the tree],peel the bark off,seal the ends with paint or varnish so they don`t crack or split.Put the staves in your attick,shed,barn,anywhere out of the weather for 2or3 years.A moister meter can help out to.Thats how i was told to do it.I`m sure some experts on here could help you even more.

[Kirk32256]

Thanks, for the advice, I will do that and I guess I will buy a blank for a project a bit sooner, I have scrapers and draw knives so I guess I can afford a moisture meter down the road.

Kirk

[Pat B]

If you can post pics of your stave it will make it easier to help you. As far as a riser(handle) goes, does the blank bend at all in the handle area? If not, you can glue on a riser block to the belly side and bevel it top and bottom so it flows into each limb. If it does bend(at all) you can make a riser from a flexible material like leather, crepe rubber, cork or multi lams of thin wood with graduating lengths so it flexes a bit.
  For the stave you are working on now all you need is a scraper to bring it to tiller. On any stave, all you need is a wood or farriers rasp(a cheap or free farriers rasp should be easy to find around Camden)and a scraper to tiller a bow.
   Any of the four woods you mentioned will make good bows. Hickory would be my first choice. I have built bows from all of them. It would be better to harvest any of these woods during the growing season when the bark will slip. The wood under the bark is the most pristine backing you can get. I consider all 4 to be whitewood.
   Rather than spending your money on a moisture meter(in Camden, your wood will always have a higher M/C)invest in a hot box. There are plans in the "How To" section here on TG. A hot box will serve you well for storing and drying  bows and bow wood as well as for glue-up if you go that direction. I just gave my moisture meter, that I rarely used over the last 10 years, to a friend in Utah. His concern is wood getting too dry.
   When you do cut your next wood, split it, at least in half or quarters if big enough, seal the ends and if the bark slips, remove it and seal the back. I prefer spray shellac to seal staves. Wax or carpenters glue works well also.If the bark holds fast, leave it on but treat with a pesticide to kill and insects that are hiding in the bark and any insect eggs that will hatch while in storage and eat your wood.   Pat

[Pat B]

If this post can be moved to "Bowyers Bench" you might get more replies.

[Kirk32256]

Thanks and my late wife was a horse person, I will look for her rasp, I have scrapers, rasp and such as I work on musical instruments.  Thanks for the tip and I guess I will need to make a leather grip for it.  The sap seems to be running in the hickory a bit so I should be able to peel the bark and I can make a hot box i assume you mean a piece of pipe about 72 inches long with a 100 watt bulb in it and a vent at the top? and kept around 110 F?

I have plenty of  wax an shellac around the house (I love to french polish stuff) so that part should be easy.  Thanks for the answer it sounds like I am on my way.

Kirk

[Pat B]

The piece of pipe with a light bulb will work but you have to flip the bow or stave so it dries evenly. My hot box is plywood(approx 1'w x 2'h x 8'long) with 4 light bulbs, a fan and a thermostat. There are many varieties. You can make out of foam board.
  If you cut wood now you will have a time getting the bark and cambium layer off. Once the leaves appear in the spring until Aug or Sept the bark will peel off with very little effort.  Pat

[Kirk32256]

Thanks I will do that, and I have an old 125 VAC computer fan, so that should work well, I assume I need to drop the moisture to around 6 to 9 percent.

[Pat B]

For hickory about 6% or so for others 9% to 11% is what you are looking for.  The fan will help when drying wood. I cut a 1" hole in the top of one end of my box and another in the bottom of the other end to allow the moisture to escape. When I want the most heat, I plug those holes.
   I got my hot box plans from Bingham's but I'm sure others here have some also.       Pat

[Kirk32256]

I have the plans for one from a wood working site not sure which but I can make it easily enough 4 bulbs and a thermostat and a small fan easy enough, I have seen plans for a  few different ones and I have one on my hd0.  What would use use for finishing the bow besides poly?

[Pat B]

I use Birchwood-Casey Tru-Oil, a gun stock finish, on all my bows. I wipe it on with my finger, let it dry and give it a rubdown with 0000steel wool and add another coat. 5 or 6 coats gives a nice finish.    Pat

[Kirk32256]

Hey, I love Tru-Oil, it is great stuff, on muzzleloaders I tone it down a bit but it is great stuff, nice that I can use something I know and trust.