Selfbow from wind blown trees in Kalispell

[Clawsar]

Thanks. It was good practice so far. I can successfully split a 8” log into toothpicks. The split kept running off the sides and I was left with kindling. I’m planning now to try a board bow and keep my eyes out for any logs that would be good to keep trying. Persistence.......

On the plus side, truck and house are all fixed up so that’s done.

 

[eastex56]

Another good author for making self bows (as well as bamboo backed bows) is Dean Torges. Unfortunately, Dean passed away but was a real craftsman and shared his insights through his books (and videos/DVD's). Ive built a few self bows but its been a couple of years since I picked up the draw knife. I do know that you don't have to wait for the wood to dry to begin working on it. You can get the stave roughed out to CLOSE to finished dimensions and it will reach moisture equilibrium ('dry') much quicker. If you live in a very dry climate (low humidity) it would be best to store the stave in a climate controlled atmosphere (somewhere that has a higher relative humidity--perhaps somewhere in the house). The drier the atmosphere, the faster the moisture leaves the wood and can cause cracks, twists, etc. These are things you will learn to address. Don't be afraid to steam the wood to remove twists. As stated above, the Traditional Bowyers Bibles are a great series and help you a lot. Ive built bows of hickory, ash, persimmon, oak, and osage orange. Ive never used elm but the American flat bow design works very well with most woods, especially for beginners. Tillering is the hardest part to get right but its all a great learning experience and a lot of fun. Remember that a piece of wood is roughly twice as strong if you double the width but is roughly 8 times as strong if you double the thickness. So, taking or leaving extra thickness can have a large impact on tiller as well as draw weight. Also remember that you can ruin a stave very quickly with a small mistake using power tools. Using a drawknife, scrapers, rasps, spokeshaves, etc. will take longer but your risk of ruining your stave is much lower. You don't need to spend a lot of money on your hand tools. I would suggest that you should get a drawknife (old ones that are fully serviceable can be found at yard sales, estate sales, etc.), a Nicholson #49 rasp, and a set of cabinet scrapers. Learn to burnish the edges of your scrapers and they will become one of your favorite tools. I like using a 'bow horse' (also known as a 'shaving horse') to hold the stave but you can use a vise to hold it while working on it. Enjoy the journey but be forewarned: IT IS ADDICTING!!! Good luck!!!!

 

[eastex56]

Thanks. It was good practice so far. I can successfully split a 8” log into toothpicks. The split kept running off the sides and I was left with kindling. I’m planning now to try a board bow and keep my eyes out for any logs that would be good to keep trying. Persistence.......

On the plus side, truck and house are all fixed up so that’s done.

One thing you can do is use a circular saw to cut the log into halves. I use a chalk line to mark the log where I want to make the cuts. Set the blade to cut 1"-1.5" deep and cut the log from end to end on your chalk lines. Then set the blade to full depth and cut each line deeper. Then you should be able to use your sledge and wedges to get into halves. Then you can do the same thing on each half to get them split. Heck, you can cut them with a chainsaw if you want to. You're just trying to reduce it down to manageable sections that should be 3"-4" across the back. Splitting wood with sledges and wedges is way overrated! There's a reason we invented power tools!! Good luck!!

 

[Howie]

Never made one, maybe you all can clarify this. I'm sure I remember reading some olden literature about this and it said to cut the wood and anchor it on a stream/creek for 6 months. Something about a more even removal of tree fluids made a better bow. I always wondered. Has anyone got an idea or info about this?