Wilt's Bow - Page 2

January 23, 2004

We're at the floor tillering stage.  I am pretty aggressive with the bandsaw and get my bows real close there to save my joints from all that rasping :-)  This one was pretty easy to get a good line and follow so floor tillering was minimal.  We'll jump right to long string tillering tree work.  This is where you use a long string and some leather boots at the end to get a good idea how she is bending before bracing her for the first time.  The goal is to have very even limbs and no noticeable hinges or strong spots.

Here she is.  The left (upper) limb is too stiff and there is a stiff spot at the dip on the right limb.  The left limb has a bit more reflex so this makes sense.  I'll give her some work with the rasp.

This is after 20 or so rasps on each facet on the left limb and a little work at the dip on the right.  Getting better.

After 20 more rasps, she's looking lots more even.  Bending smooth enough to get a string on her.

This is the first look at brace height.  Not bad. Needs work at the near handle on the left limb and in midlimb on the right.

After some work on those areas, she was loking pretty good so I drew her to 20 inches.  I like to give bow in progress lots of work.  I typically pull it 30-50 times each time I take wood off.  She's actually coming along nicely here.  The right limb is a touch stiff now but not much.  I leave a little positive tiller on the lower limb so a few shots with the rasp and we'll be ready to clean her up and really stalk tiller.

Well, I was exercising her and I heard that fateful sound of something letting loose :-(  In this case, it was a tiny remnant of a pin knot that I thought I had gotten out of my layout.  The one farther into the limb I knew about but the one on the side kind of angled into the back from one side and snuck up on me.  I tried rounding it off to relieve any purchase for splinters, but, alas.  See how the limb sprung?
Let's try and fix her.  Who knows?  Maybe a little glue and a wrap and she'll make a shooter yet.  I'll keep this one for myself though and make my another for the trade.

This a cyanoacrylate superglue.  It's pretty incredible stuff so maybe a small miracle???  I worked it into the splinter really well and added a touch of heat to make it flow.  Then I clamped her up tight.  We'll take it off tomorrow and see what happens.  Stay tuned.

Then we pull it apart with a couple pairs of pliers.

Then we get these lovely, long, curlies.

Here's the bow prepped with a toothing plane blade about 2" above and below the splinter.

The scene.

The results.  I laid on a course lengthwise and then wrapped it real well.  We'll see what happens in a week or so after it's set up.  Stay tuned.

January 26, 2004

Hmmm?  I think she might make it.  It's too dang cold to work out in the shop so I took my life into my hands and tried it out by hand.  No helmet or anything.  Tiller needs some work but she feels good.  I'll probably knock her down a few pounds in weight and finesse the tiller.  Then add some dark dye job and a snakeskin.  I'm optimistic :-)

Here's Wilt's new bow in waiting.