New Bow that I am making for a client

Hi folks!
here is the beginning of a new bow that I am making for a client. I give you the documentation of it, mistakes and all.
I welcome comments, and advice!
It will not be done soon, I have to get ready for an event that starts in a week, and I will be gone for a week, then, come back to finish this bow.


Best!

Lightly.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/swifthoundbows/4314515099/in/set-72157623186044585/

Good Day Lightly!

Great stuff! I'm very surprised everyone is so quiet here not a single reply ... not a single question when there was so much going on. I've looked through your portfolio where you keep record of your project progress...I'm impressed and right away have a few questions...

Mainly about the tools, glue, and materials

What drill bit do you use to get such a smooth walled space for the nut? Mine always come out slightly rough.

What glue did you use for gluing on the white top? And I noticed the glue raised a portion of the top in the mid section...was that something you did unintentionally or is it a noncritical area that you are planning on covering up in the future anyway?

What woods/materials were used to makeup the inlay(the final version in the back)?

All in all great project demonstration ...only I wish you posted more pictures in your posts as you definitely have lots to show and tell ...it's a little difficult to follow up with the updates when they happen somewhere else. Let me know if I can help in any way, It is always a pleasure.

Dear Ivo;

I'm impressed and right away have a few questions...

Thank you!

Mainly about the tools, glue, and materials

What drill bit do you use to get such a smooth walled space for the nut? Mine always come out slightly rough. confused"

We use a Forstner bit.
http://www.ostartools.com/products/forwood/forstnerbits/forstnerbits.htm

It CAN wander a bit, so, (when we remember!) we like to clamp down the stock to the drill press platform.

What glue did you use for gluing on the white top? And I noticed the glue raised a portion of the top in the mid section...was that something you did unintentionally or is it a noncritical area that you are planning on covering up in the future anyway?

We use Gorilla Glue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorilla_Glue
It is strong enough to hold the micarta material to the top of the bow. (Micarta is difficult to glue.) It expands when it is drying. What looks like the glue raising the top, is actually a depression. I had shaped the wood of the stock before gluing the top on, and the micarta overtops the stock a bit. This part will be shaped more, and will also be covered by the horn lockplate. So, even if the top continues to be larger than the stock (unlikely) it will be covered by the lockplates.

What woods/materials were used to makeup the inlay(the final version in the back)?

We get the inlay from WoodCraft,
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000664/25117/Inlay-Border-029-12-2-pcs.aspx
Already premade. it is a good thing...And the client had asked for inlay as well as bone decorations. So, it was a better choice for that area, when the bone inlay failed to look as good as I hoped.

All in all great project demonstration cheers ...only I wish you posted more pictures in your posts as you definitely have lots to show and tell ...it's a little difficult to follow up with the updates when they happen somewhere else. Let me know if I can help in any way, It is always a pleasure.

Do you mean, post the photos here? Rather than a link to Flickr? I am rather technically challenged! Is there an easy way to do that?
I have not updated that bow on Flickr, as I have been too busy readying for an event in a few days.

Thank you!

best;
Lightly

I have been meaning to comment on this for several days now, first I must say that this appears to be your nicest work yet, you seem to be becoming more comfortable with the shapes that you are trying to achieve.

Second, the sheer number of photos that you have of the process have inspired me to better document my own build. I have learned quite a bit about the logic that you have used in your builds and have already seen where I can cut several hours out of my assembly time.

I do have a question about your process, when cutting the seat for the nut supports you used the band saw to make several cuts to your layout line, don't you find this way rather tense? I use a dovetail saw and cut next to my layout line to the bottom on both sides and then use a coping saw to remove the majority of the waste and then clean up to my layout lines with a chisel. I have found this method to give me extremely close tolerances for my glue-up.

Second, the sheer number of photos that you have of the process have inspired me to better document my own build. I have learned quite a bit about the logic that you have used in your builds and have already seen where I can cut several hours out of my assembly time.

I started to do the photo essays, as I felt that it would be a very good way for me to remember how and why I did things later. I do not have a great memory, but I DO have a very good visual memory. So, the photos help me in that I can go back when building a similar bow, and look at what I did. I debated on whether or not to include the mistakes that I made (as some are rather embarrassing!) but elected to keep them in to remind myself what NOT to do again...
I am glad they can help you!

I do have a question about your process, when cutting the seat for the nut supports you used the band saw to make several cuts to your layout line, don't you find this way rather tense? I use a dovetail saw and cut next to my layout line to the bottom on both sides and then use a coping saw to remove the majority of the waste and then clean up to my layout lines with a chisel. I have found this method to give me extremely close tolerances for my glue-up.

I think I am about to learn something! Jason, when you say "cutting the seat for the nut supports" what do you mean? Perhaps you could tell me what photo that is? and YES! I find using the bandsaw to be rather tense! It is rather a bucking bronco sometimes. Can YOU take some photos of how you use the dovetail saw and the coping saw to show me how you do it? Or if that is not possible, perhaps an illustrative drawing, or?? I should very much like to see that. Always intrigued to see other ways to do things.

Thank you for your input, and take care;

Lightly

Lightly,

The series of photos start at about photo 41 in the series, it appears that you have marked your waste with pencil lines and then used the band saw to cut both sides of the marked area. It then looks like you used the bandsaw to make several cuts in the waste to allow you to clean it out easily with a chisel.

The method that I use would work like this,

1) make your vertical cuts on both sides of the waste with the dovetail saw

2) make the connecting cut by taking a coping saw, glide it down one of the cuts and then make a turning cut across the bottom, just above your bottom layout line to the other vertical cut. This will pop the waste free, one side will have a 90 degree corner and the other will have a curve from where the coping saw was turned

3) take the coping saw and cut the left over waste out by cutting along the bottom cut to the first vertical cut, this will remove the curved bit of waste left from the initial coping cut

4) clamp a block next to the cut to ensure that your broadest, sharpest chisel is vertical and then pare down the sides to the initial layout line, repeat for the other side

5) using short compass strokes, pare the bottom flat and true, making sure to pare from both sides so as to not blow out the grain by pushing through.

The description makes it seem more complicated that it is, if I have time this weekend I will try to take some photos of the process, once you try it I think you will really like it.

As for the photos of the mistakes, I find that seeing where the problems were, and how they were corrected can be the most informative part. Never forget the very wise saying, "If you can't be a good example, be a horrible warning".

Thanks for the info on...pretty much everything guys...I feel honored to be around craftsmen (and crafts-ladies )

The ready made inlay info was quite new to me and I was surprised it was so available as I haven't done much of it and only seen people start from scratch. Thanks on that...and the forstner bit...I've got to get my hands on a set of those *looks for a clear spot in the shop*

Since the path of this topic stretched so much since yesterday I don't want to go back quoting the picture posting questions and messing up the smooth "wave" of this topic and will just send you a PM about it a little later tonight.

Jason, thanks! I will have to try that, new tools, always fun! Can you explain, tho, what you mean by clamping a block to make a more true cut with the chisel, and, the compass paring?


And, yes, if you could show some photos of that process.. that would be wonderful. Thank you!

I am leaving for Arizona, for a week and a half, to go to an event to sell some of mine and Geezer's bows, and I do not think I will have internet access, really, so, no hurry on that explanation, I doubt I will be able to see it for a while.

And yes, Ivo, that inlay bits are very good. They are fairly shallow. The inlay you saw on the bow was a double width. I measured where I wanted it, scribed a line with my little scribing tool, and then used a tiny router on a dremel to remove just a bit of the stock. Then, glued and clamped. And sanded! I have to do more inlay on this bow. When I get back, I'll work on it more, and show that progress.

Take care, all and I'll be back soon.

Best!

Lightly

Superior craftsmanship Lightly. I like your approach to documenting this build, it's almost more important to see the mistakes than it is to see the successes, at least for those of us who want to learn. Can't wait to see more!

Haha... I spy - a little dog!


Good stuff Lightly...I wish I knew more about inlaying so I could help, but I'm useless in this department at the moment.

Hi Ivo!

Yes, a smith friend made me a brand of my little dog maker's mark... so, no more cutting them out of leather and tacking them on! Altho, I will still put tacks in for the eyes and nose, like I did with the leather. I have started finishing the bow, and will put up some photos of that.. I still am not good at posting photos here, so I might still link to my flickr. I will figure that out someday...

Lightly

Yeh, after you mentioned it, I stayed alert and kept my eye out for it when looking through your portfolio...twitter is a good place, it is sort of like a forum on it's own and it allows you to keep track of your projects rather efficiently.

I promised to have a video tutorial out soon showing how to post pictures in our forums, I'll post an announcement when it's ready.

Great job on the crossbow by the way!...Wickedly detailed build...Thank you!

So I'm not the only one hoping for help on posting photos directly from my lap top folders.

Unfortunately this forum software has no direct upload feature. To post an immage you have to sign up for a free image hosting service and from there you just upload your images and copy/paste the "image code" into your message. Sorry if this is an inconvenience.

Ivo

photos to posts. Thank you IVO!
I decided months ago to start off with a purchased crossbow and chose the Maximilian, built by Lightly, I believe. I appreciate her building my first medieval. I've shot it several hundred times so far and also took a nice buck with it several weeks ago. I've learned a lot from this crossbow. I intend to build my own crossbows for hunting and I'm just getting started. I don't have woodworking facilities and have no interest in having one (too many irons in the fire :-) so I will be finding a local shop to do some of the milling and precision lock work. I think this forum and site, in general, is a fantastic source for us folks new to medieval crossbow building. Thank you Lightly, and keep up the good work. Beautiful detail work on the crossbow pictured above.
I will post photos of my first endeavor at the appropriate time.

Did I miss the final pics of the entire bow? Seems like all I saw were closeups.

Jake;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/swifthoundbows/5039491338/in/set-72157623186044585/

The great part are closeups, to show off the work, and so that I can look back for details if I want to do something similar.

Best!
Lightly

Aha! There it is. I agree, I love the closeups too but I was really wanting to see it in it's entirety.