Been wanting to dive into building a bow for some time. Took the first real step forward tonight, called Kenny and ordered  form template and plans for building my bow form.
Reading through a bunch of stuff here has certainly motivated me to get started. Its a long winter, wish me luck. Im a lil intimidated by it all. 


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Good luck! Don't forget to post pictures of your progress.
Dave.

Got my template and plans from Kenny today! Thanks Kenny, that was quick.  The rest of my form parts will be here Friday, and weather permitting will be making the trip to get plywood Thursday. With crap weather rolling in again ove the weekend, I'll be sequestered in the shop getting a form together, and possibly hot box. I feel like a kid at Christmas. I'll post some pics as I build the form.

Looking forward to following along.

Best of luck.

I always chuckle when some one says they'd like to build A bow. They're like potato chips, you can't have/build just one. 

Picked up plywood today, as freezing rain coming tomorrow. Its a 2 hr each way trip to Menards, and after loading plywood and a couple tools, along with a pallet of wood pellets, I couldnt get back to my shop fast enough.  Got the sheets cut down, will glue them up tomorrow at some point.


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Good start!!

4hrs for plywood! Thats resolve! You should be a formidable bowyer with those personal attributes.

And I like your quote. B.S. is a unique musical poet.

Flem I live in the western Upper Peninsula of MI. There is nothing close. Running an hour or two each way for certain things is just life in Gods Country.  I'll take that over the concrete jungle any day.


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Shes glued screwed and clamped down to bench. Guess all I can do now is clean the shop up. If I ever get my hands on those lil gremlins that sneak in here in the dead of night and mess things up I'm gonna skin em and make some warm mitts outta their hides.




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Used be a lumberyard in Ontonagon.  Hawley Lumber.  Burned to the ground.

Hawleys buildings are still here but they closed down a few years ago.


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Getting ready to run this form thru the bandsaw. My saw is a 14" Grizzly, with a really small table. So had to field engineer a support system so its not floppin around line a head shot rabbit as I cut it. I think this should do the trick.


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That helps a bunch right there!!

So I got this beast cut out. Went fairly well. Tried keeping blade a fuzz proud of the line, but a lil drift and it varies a lil bit. 1/16th or a fuzz more in spots. Cut was not perfectly square due to blade shifting a lil bit. . Not a huge deal. Can smooth that out on bottom half of form with template and router.  I'll slide template down 1/8" below my original line along bottom and take any flat spots and square it up with router.
My question is, the top section. How exact does that need to be compared to bottom half?  Will sanding it a bit, plus hose/pressure strip take care of any imperfections in top half, or does it need to fit tight to bottom half of form?


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Doing fine. I do not know if you have seen this, great help.
https://www.kennysarchery.com/buildalong

https://www.kennysarchery.com/buildalong
Doing fine. Did you see this, great help.

The top part of form isn't critical to be smooth, just check space for hose before you bolt together. It will change things a little on some designs when you put the space in there. More on curvy bows. Seems like I have to trim the top one at the ends slightly sometimes.

And do a dry run with all parts to be sure everything is getting pressed well before mixing up glue!!

Looks good. As Kenny said, all ways do a dry run

Ok had to dig my thinkin cap outta storage, which I did while snowshoein a 2 mile hike in the high country. Sometimes walkin away from a project and spendin time in the woods is the best plan.

So what I did, is taking the template for the bottom half of the form, and used the router with a guide collar and spiral bit, made a mirror image template for the top of the form.
My flush pattern router but will not be here till Monday afternoon. So now I wait. But should have a nice matchup of both halves, although as Kenny mentioned may need to trim top at ends to allow room for hose. Will take that as it comes once I install hardware.
Still a ways off from gluing one up, will order glue, lams etc first of the month. Vet bill for my dog shot my shop budget for the rest of this month . Plus the fun governor is startin to get inquisitive.


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