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Bow Making and Spokeshave use

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Bow Making and Spokeshave use

Old 10-01-2008, 07:51 AM
  #1  
Spike
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Default Bow Making and Spokeshave use

I'm new to bow making and amplanning onstarting withmaking a self bow from a sapling.I've read alot in "The Traditional Bowyers Bible" , but some of its info is a little sketchy at best. Iwas wondering what is the best type of spokeshave to use on the bows belly. Can I get away with a straight blade for convex or flat surfaces or do I need one for a concave surface(curved blade)? Also, how do you determine where to locate the handle and arrow shelf? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 10-01-2008, 09:05 AM
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bigcountry
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Default RE: Bow Making and Spokeshave use

Ok, I have a spokeshave and it sucks for removing belly material. I use a nice draw knife. You have much more control. In fact, the draw knife just gets used to get down to my ring I want on the "back", and belly only get hits with a ferriers rasp at first for floor tillering, then scraped with a scraper. I use a bandsaw to get the bow down to rough dimensions.

If your trying to get the belly down to rough dimensions with a spokeshave, I would go with a straight one. Especially if your making a flat belly design.
 
Old 10-01-2008, 09:43 AM
  #3  
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Default RE: Bow Making and Spokeshave use

I use nothing on the belly but a card scraper/burr scraper. A sureform rasp is also very good for belly wood removal. Be careful using spoke shavers and draw knifes. If you have never used a draw knife, id suggest sticking with a rasp. It is real easy to ruin a stave with on bad nick of a draw knife. Ive seen more people make fire wood out of a good stave with a draw knife. But if you are use to using one, they are great. I use a bandsaw to cut out my shape, then nothing but burr scrapers and rough sandpaper to finish the belly during tillering. I know guys who use nothing but fixed blade knifes and broken glass. Yep, broken glass. Not me though.
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Old 10-01-2008, 10:12 AM
  #4  
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Default RE: Bow Making and Spokeshave use

I forgot to address where to put a shelf. I actually split the dynamic fulcrum and the geographic fulcrum. To make it easy on you, just find the geographic fulcrum, the very center of the bow. Mark that and cut your shelf about a 1/4"to 1/2" above center. That way your brace hand is just under the midline or right on it. When you cut your shelf, don’t go past the midline of the bow. Keep it about 1/8” light of the midline, this will be a good starting point. I tiller to the center of the bow with a 1/8 positive tiller so that way I get the draw I like when I cut my shelf and set up my handle. Hope this makes sense.
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Old 10-01-2008, 10:35 AM
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Default RE: Bow Making and Spokeshave use

ORIGINAL: burniegoeasily

I use nothing on the belly but a card scraper/burr scraper. A sureform rasp is also very good for belly wood removal. Be careful using spoke shavers and draw knifes. If you have never used a draw knife, id suggest sticking with a rasp. It is real easy to ruin a stave with on bad nick of a draw knife. Ive seen more people make fire wood out of a good stave with a draw knife. But if you are use to using one, they are great. I use a bandsaw to cut out my shape, then nothing but burr scrapers and rough sandpaper to finish the belly during tillering. I know guys who use nothing but fixed blade knifes and broken glass. Yep, broken glass. Not me though.
How do you chase osage rings without a draw knife?
 
Old 10-01-2008, 11:24 AM
  #6  
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Default RE: Bow Making and Spokeshave use

ORIGINAL: bigcountry

ORIGINAL: burniegoeasily

I use nothing on the belly but a card scraper/burr scraper. A sureform rasp is also very good for belly wood removal. Be careful using spoke shavers and draw knifes. If you have never used a draw knife, id suggest sticking with a rasp. It is real easy to ruin a stave with on bad nick of a draw knife. Ive seen more people make fire wood out of a good stave with a draw knife. But if you are use to using one, they are great. I use a bandsaw to cut out my shape, then nothing but burr scrapers and rough sandpaper to finish the belly during tillering. I know guys who use nothing but fixed blade knifes and broken glass. Yep, broken glass. Not me though.
How do you chase osage rings without a draw knife?
Axe, then a knife and a scrapers.
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Old 10-01-2008, 11:39 AM
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Default RE: Bow Making and Spokeshave use

Dont get me wrong, a draw knife is great for chaseing rings. I do use a draw knife from time to time, that is when ive got one. But to someone new to a draw knife, they need to be real careful. Like I said, ive seen lots of staves turn to fire wood when some one jumps right in with a draw knife.
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Old 10-02-2008, 09:02 PM
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bigcountry
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Default RE: Bow Making and Spokeshave use

I two draw knifes now. One deadly sharp, one rather dull. I use both under various circumstances. Like when I am removing heavy sapwood, I use the sharp one. When doing alot of scraping on small ringed osage like now, I use the dull one.
 
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