making wood self bows

[scp]

It's much easier for beginners to make a pyramid style flat bow. After
tapering the belly just a little bit using long, long strokes, mainly
tiller on the sides. I also use the black electrical tape to mark off the
hinge and use scrapers with long, long strokes. Nowadays I prefer to use
a tiny block plane. But I really should get a small scraper plane.

[scp]

Flat bows are a lot easier to make for beginners
that English style longbows.
It would be a lot safer if you start with a board
at least 2" wide and 67" long.

[scp]

I don't think I have seen a stave with a 180 degree twist.
I wouldn't even bother with one with a 90 degree twist.
But I bet you can cut two billets out of it and join them.

[scp]

IMHO if they knew how to orient the nock properly,
that is, perpendicular to the wood grain,
they knew about the spine of arrows.
That does not mean they felt the need
to measure the spine exactly.

[scp]

If you are going for a pyramid style bow,
assuming that thickness is rather even
throughout the working section,
you can use the following figures from TBB4.

Section ---------- Energy stored
(from handle)
0"-7" ---------- 30%
8"-14" ---------- 27% (-3)
15"-21" ---------- 22% (-5)
22"-28" --------- 15% (-7)
28"-35" ---------- 6% (-9)

I followed the figures for width once
and ended up with a slightly rounded pyramid bow!
I only work with staves
but this method will work great for board bows.

[Paracelcus]

On Fri, 10 Dec 2010 22:21:45 +0000, scp wrote:

Use a spokeshave followed by a hand scraper with a curing burr pulled
cross grain.

[scp]

Thanks.
What is "a curing burr?"
Cutting burr?