Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: shag08 on January 12, 2017, 04:31:00 PM
-
Hey guys. The bow bug bit me again and I was browsing around for a Hill style bow to try out...but I'm a logger and this is a really bad time of year to come up with extra cash for much when it rains every day. Then I happened to remember the board bow I had won in the St Jude auction that's stashed away in a tube under the bed. Here's what I got...
http://auction1.tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=209;t=000029
I read that some people have had good luck using Titebond 3 for glue ups, so I bought some of that today.
Here's my question, what's the bare minimum of stuff I need to get to make this thing happen? I've read various things and methods on how to clamp for glue up, what's cheapest and easiest? I may only do this once, so I don't want to invest a fortune in tools just for this. I do have lots of wood working tools, but they're mainly for construction and furniture building.
I'm gonna build a tillering tree tomorrow and I can make bowstrings.
Any advise y'all can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
-
Following this one myself
-
I've seen people use old inner tubes from bicycles for glue-ups, they wrap & tie them. I use a heap of g-clamps now but back in the day I would 'borrow' a few paper spring clips from work each day (the big ones - http://www.freeimages.com/pic/m/t/th/theliberat/355617_paper_clip.jpg ) and they would work with my old TBIII glue ups.
Once you're glued up you could use a handsaw for cutting your profile, or, at a pinch, a jigsaw, as long as you're willing to cut well outside the line & rasp/file the rest. A bandsaw would be better but I've used a jigsaw & handsaw before.
And there's going to be no getting away from needing rasps & files & sandpaper. You definitely need them.
-
Here's what I use for a glue up jig; of course this is for a curvy bow. All you should need is a straight length of 2x6 or 2x8
(http:// [url=http://s21.photobucket.com/user/kenhulme/media/Yanghai2_zps470b0eba.jpg.html] [img]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b282/kenhulme/Yanghai2_zps470b0eba.jpg)[/url] [/IMG]
-
A good wood rasp and a cabinet scraper for tillering and bicycle tire tube bands for glue up.
I cut the valve out of the tube and cut the tube in half lengthwise for the bands, one or 2 for each limb.
Another tip...drill 2, 1/8" holes side by side in the handle area of the belly and backing and use bamboo skewers as alignment pins to help hold it all together while gluing it up and wrapping with the tubes.Once wrapped you can place the glue up on the form, clamping at the handle, back up and add a little reflex by lifting the tips up on 3" to 4" blocks. I usually add small clamps to the tips too.
-
I may only do this once, so I don't want to invest a fortune in tools just for this.
If you build one and it shoots, it likely won't be the last one you make!