Well after much lurking and finally getting a small workshop built, I have finally started working on my first laminate bow build. Tonight I started working on the form. Living fairly remote i had a hard time finding good materials to build my form from. Anyways I found a 1-3/4"x 11-7/8 LVL to use, but it was cupped and a little bowed. Grrrr.

So not having an electric planer or electeicity in the shop other then a generator, I put my hand planes to use. I started with a #5 scrub plane and went to work getting it flat. Once I got it flat side to side(removing the cup), I used a #7 jointer plane and got it flat length wise. After about an hour and a half of hard work it removed about an 1/8" and got the whole thing within 20 thou of flat from one end to the other on six feet. I feel pretty good about that.

It was a pain because to make the lvl flat from one end to the other I had to take more off the center on one side and more off both ends on the other side. Man an electric planer would have saved some serious work, but hey it is done and I got a workout in the mean time. :-)

Now I just need to get the pattern made and get it cut out. It Is after midnight and I need to hed to bed, but I will post photos tomorrow.

Are you building a wood laminate or glass laminate bow?

I am going to build a glass bow off of Kenny's 58/60" R/D Longbow form.

As promised.

well thats looking good so far keep at it      

Nice to see some folks are still using their hands instead of their smart phones and power tools..     Liking It.!

Nice work! Should be a fun post build to follow.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is an LVL?

Looks like more work than I would want to do, AND ........ it would have taken a whole lot more than an hour and a half! Good job!  

Got ya some nice firestarter there.        

Doesn't look like LVL, but wadda I know.