[Ansteorra-archery] Bowyerthon materials, Step 2: Tools for shaping

[Sylvrfalcn at aol.com]

Friends,
  What tools do you need to cut your bowstave into the shape of a bow? In all 
honesty, whatever works for you.  I've carved perfectly good bows using 
nothing more than a knife. Here's a list of tools for you to consider;
- Knife: my tool of choice for just about everything ;-)
- Drawknife: takes a little getting used to, and they tend to be expensive 
unless you can find a good used one
- Spokeshave: works well and easier for rookies to control than a drawknife, 
still tend to be a little pricey
- Block plane: easy enough to use, available at Lowe's, moderately priced 
- Wood rasps: "rasps" as in plural, because there's quite a variety 
available, at a range of prices. Rasps work like a file, and are good for rounding off 
sharp edges or evening out irregularities
- Surform: looks like a cheese grater on a frame with a handle on each end, 
they're safe and simple to use, but really slow

  Take a look around, you may come up with tools I haven't mentioned. Think 
"outside the box", a 600 dollar bandsaw might be nice, but an eight dollar 
coping saw and some patience will do the same job.

  Let me stop right here and point out something very important. If you have 
absolutely no woodworking/woodcarving skills, you will be very frustrated and 
dissappointed attending my bowmaking class. I'm teaching bowmaking, assuming 
you've already got some woodworking under your belt. If not, I promise you, you 
will be up the proverbial creek without a paddle, trying to shape a piece of 
hard oak or hickory into a bow. Let me repeat just to be sure we're clear; IF 
YOU CANNOT ALREADY CUT/CARVE WOOD WITH SOME DEGREE OF SKILL, THERE IS NO WAY I 
CAN, IN TWO DAYS, TEACH YOU TO MAKE A WOODEN BOW WHICH REQUIRES BOTH CUTTING 
AND CARVING. Harsh? Perhaps, but totally honest and realistic.

Cheers til next time,
Robert of Yorkshire