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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: canopyboy on June 13, 2015, 10:17:00 PM

Title: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: canopyboy on June 13, 2015, 10:17:00 PM
At the risk of giving low hanging fruit to Roy and Ben, today I cut my first shelf on the wrong side. In my defense, it was on a reverse handled Hill bow. I was in a hurry. Verified which hand it was supposed to be for the recipient and cut away. The bow was taking shape nicely (limbs and tips are always done before the handle area.) I was all but done when it hit me that I had it backwards.

Anyhow, I can't be the first one. Anyone else out there willing to fess up?

Now I just need to find someone who matches these specs in the correct hand.
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: Pat B on June 13, 2015, 11:09:00 PM
I bent one recurve up and one down on a selfbow.
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: LittleBen on June 13, 2015, 11:43:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Pat B:
I bent one recurve up and one down on a selfbow.
That's damned funny.

Dave, why not just make it a forward handle? Or a regular handle? Whichever makes it shoot from the correct side .... Its glass on both sides anyway and should bend just fine ....
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: Krasus on June 13, 2015, 11:45:00 PM
Yup. Lol but then it became the perfect Christmas present for my lefty father in law. He loved it so in the end it was all good.
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: monterey on June 14, 2015, 12:23:00 AM
I did it once!  If it happens again, I won't be admitting to it!
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: Swissbow on June 14, 2015, 01:16:00 AM
Hell yeah ! I knew I wasn't the only one...
__________
Andy
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: Roy from Pa on June 14, 2015, 06:34:00 AM
I think I did, once...
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: Bowjunkie on June 14, 2015, 06:49:00 AM
I haven't done that... yet.
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: critman on June 14, 2015, 09:32:00 AM
ALMOST did that on my first one. I did make about a 1" cut before I realized my mistake. Filled it with expoxy, still shooting her 3 years later.    :banghead:
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: JamesV on June 14, 2015, 10:16:00 AM
I am right handed and when I build a bow for a leftie I always check at least 4 times before cutting the shelf. Almost but not yet.

James
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: wood carver 2 on June 14, 2015, 12:19:00 PM
Not yet, but I am nowhere near perfect!
Besides, if I do cut one on the wrong side, I'll just say I wanted to try shooting left handed... I am left eye dominant after all.    ;)  
Dave.
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: Troy D. Breeding on June 14, 2015, 02:38:00 PM
Never cut a shelf wrong, but did file in a set of string nocks backwards. Did it on both limbs before I caught it.
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: takefive on June 14, 2015, 03:22:00 PM
I don't cut a shelf on my wood bows, but I do narrow the handle for the arrow pass on that side.  I've almost done it on the wrong side more than once.  Luckily the bow gods slapped me upside my head and I snapped out of it at the last second.    :eek:
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: jsweka on June 14, 2015, 05:09:00 PM
DOH!!!     :knothead:  

And don't you engineer nuclear subs or something like that???     :laughing:

Sorry Dave.  Couldn't resist.

Now a left handed reverse handle would really mess with your mind.
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: Wolftrail on June 14, 2015, 06:11:00 PM
I did it once and soon after the bow broke because I thought there was enough meat in the handle area to accommodate a right hand shelf, sure as flys on poop she snapped in the handle area.
The design and tiller was sweet boy I was mad   :mad:
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: Mad Max on June 14, 2015, 06:18:00 PM
check , check, and check again.

Hold the bow in your hand and mark it.

and check again
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: lovebowhuntin on June 14, 2015, 06:28:00 PM
Ive only been building bows for a couple of years. My first couple turned out as decent as i could expect so i got a lil bit of a big head...didnt last long.  I was working on a hickory board bow and kinda showing my daughter how daddy does it. The limbs turned out great but as i was "showing" her how to cut in a shelf....welp, guess yall know what i did. Brother in law is a southpaw so he got a new hickory longbow. Big head syndrome is gone now
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: rockkiller on June 14, 2015, 07:24:00 PM
I haven't done it yet,but I haven't built that many bows .But knowing myself and if any of you want to make some sure money ,place a bet cause its just a matter of time.  :rolleyes:
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: canopyboy on June 14, 2015, 07:55:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Mark Daniel:
check , check, and check again.

Hold the bow in your hand and mark it.

and check again
Did that. But from now on, there will be a final check with the bow strung! (To make sure I'm not holding it backwards.)
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: chackworth3 on June 14, 2015, 08:31:00 PM
I always get accused of cutting it on the wrong side    :D
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: Bowjunkie on June 15, 2015, 05:30:00 AM
I guess on wooden bows I dont have to worry much because I build and shape them out of heavy leather, then adhere with 3m two-sided tape. It would take 5 seconds to fix if I stuck it to the wrong side.
Title: Re: How many of you have cut the shelf on the wrong side?
Post by: jess stuart on June 15, 2015, 08:54:00 AM
Yep. The very first longbow I ever built.  I glued the cut out section back in the riser and put overlays on the back and belly of the bow.  Hid my mistake pretty well, shot it for years after.  No longer have it, and can't remember what became of it.
I have done about every stupid thing you can think of.  I once glued a tapered  lam in backwards in one limb of a one piece recurve.  Talk about a funny looking profile. LOL  Drilled holes for quiver bushing on the wrong side of the riser.  Probably a few others that I thankfully no longer recall.