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Making My First Bow, also.
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ctviolin
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Joined: 07 May 2009
Posts: 961
Location: Roswell

PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 1:37 pm    Post subject: Making My First Bow, also. Reply with quote

In the words of our own Chet Bishop;
"Well...I hesitate to publicize a first effort, especially amongst a bunch of fellows who actually know how to build a bow...but perhaps it will encourage others to take the plunge."

So, I'm not going to interrupt his ongoing soliloquy, I'm going to start my own "verbal pile" on the same subject. I believe that this can be done by 'us here'. By anyone that desires to do such a thing. The information needed is available in much varied sources, with much varied opinions about exactly how and what needs to be accomplished - and how one may go about accomplishing such a thing.
I'm not going to get into the various things that is happening or that has happened in the past in my quest and my ongoing problematic decision to make a bow of my own.

I did buy a adequate amount of pernambuco way back when it was affordable, so, my goal is to become adequately accomplished in this pursuit to use some of it to make the bow out of.
I am going to first attempt this using rosewood - which is also becoming a hard to find and buy wood - but it is much less difficult to obtain than pernambuco is, so - there you go.

I'm going to photograph this venture, and post my progress here, so that anyone that cares to, can follow and interject whatever they want to.

Hey, wish me luck!
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Last edited by ctviolin on Tue Sep 23, 2014 12:03 pm; edited 2 times in total
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seammc
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Location: peru,ma..usa

PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:45 pm    Post subject: first bow Reply with quote

it's about time.... go slow ...don't get impatient and don't be afraid to let it rest over night. wood has a memory and that memory needs time to adjust

Jim
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wm_crash
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Location: Wilmington, DE - USA

PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Since I like to interject in other people's posts with my self centered stories, here it goes.

I started working on yet another bubinga bow (first attempt broke while cambering). I made the square shape and I roughly shaped the head. I wanted to make it octagonal, and then it struck me: I need the frog first. And to make the frog metal parts, it takes molds.

There are nice molds out there to shape all the silver/silverish/silver-like, but I can't justify going all out and buying them for the first bow. My plan is to make those shapes out of wamara (or guyana rosewood as it's known, and sometimes confused with katalox). For the thickness the metal is, this improper rosewood will be plenty strong to shape parts for a few tens/hundreds of bows.

Threw that out there in case you find it useful.

good luck,
wm_crash, the friendly hooligan
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Nick Walker
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just a quick blurb...I requested the Bolander book through interlibrary loan. The library of congress has a copy, and it is currently in my possession. I will be returning it on 10-1. If you need a good resource I recommend making an ILL request through your local library.
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ctviolin
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 10:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote












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ctviolin
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 9:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So, here goes the bow.
Josh Henry - an established bow maker has kindly agreed to help me get through this pursuit, and he makes bows manually, not in an "automated" fashion or with a great many jigs and tools as Kun and Reigh suggest in their (wonderful) book which is heavily tool and jig oriented.

This has gotten me going with this venture, starting off shaping the rough stick as an evenly tapered square from 10 mm down to 7 mm right behind the head.
and that is what I'm showing here.
1. From rough pernambuco blank.
2. A board made to keep everything off of the bench surface (which I have since found is unnecessary)
3. Then the actual planing of the stick into a tapering square... behind the head.

This is prior to making the stick octagonal...
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wm_crash
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bigger photos, please pretty please Smile

cheers,
wm_crash, the friendly hooligan
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whatwasithinking
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Joined: 26 Jan 2013
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Craig,

Your bench looks so tidy. Mine is a bit messier.

Bob
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ctviolin
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wm_crash wrote:
Bigger photos, please pretty please Smile

cheers,
wm_crash, the friendly hooligan


Ok...
I'm never sure how to do these things with the photos, but I'll find a way to post either, larger photo, or links to click on for a larger photo.

Yes, I agree these are a bit to small for seeing any useful details.

Thanks '
ct
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ctviolin
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

whatwasithinking wrote:
Craig,

Your bench looks so tidy. Mine is a bit messier.

Bob


Hey Bob,
Thanks... but I cleaned up, just for the pictures!

Craig
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ctviolin
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 8:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nick Walker wrote:
Just a quick blurb...I requested the Bolander book through interlibrary loan. The library of congress has a copy, and it is currently in my possession. I will be returning it on 10-1. If you need a good resource I recommend making an ILL request through your local library.


Thanks Nick.
I've got a copy (a xerox copy in fact) that a friend made me at least ten years ago, and I've been sitting on it ever since...
The Bolander book is what Josh recommends reading also.

Many thanks for the info. What did you think of his method? Are you going to start making bows?

Craig
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whatwasithinking
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Craig,

Do you find the book to be helpful? I had a tough time following his methods, and now I do things quite a bit differently. Well, I guess I do. There seems to be so much that simply isn't mentioned. And maybe I'm a slow student. No, I take that back. I AM a slow student. I really needed someone to show me a lot of things.

I really like the video by Roch Petitdemange at Mirecourt, although he explains nothing. I did make notes about his processes, to compare with my own. I found that to be helpful.

If you want to see something "completely different," watch the video of Michel Jamonneau, who cambers a stick before planing it down, or tapering it at all. And he doesn't even knock off the corners--it's just a square, and a big one at that. And then he does a lot of the planing while holding the stick on his knee! I think he breaks every rule I was taught.

I don't think your "shooting board" is a bad idea, but it might end up morphing into something a bit different. I'll have to post a picture of my own planing bench. I'm sure it will give you a good laugh.

Bob
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Nick Walker
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 11:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I found a good deal of helpful material, but it is definitely an incomplete course, and somewhat haphazardly organized.

I am also using a board, not to protect my bench, but to elevate the work piece to a comfortable level for planing as I stand a lot for the rough work.
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ctviolin
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

whatwasithinking wrote:
Craig,

Do you find the book to be helpful? I had a tough time following his methods, and now I do things quite a bit differently. Well, I guess I do. There seems to be so much that simply isn't mentioned. And maybe I'm a slow student. No, I take that back. I AM a slow student. I really needed someone to show me a lot of things.

I really like the video by Roch Petitdemange at Mirecourt, although he explains nothing. I did make notes about his processes, to compare with my own. I found that to be helpful.

If you want to see something "completely different," watch the video of Michel Jamonneau, who cambers a stick before planing it down, or tapering it at all. And he doesn't even knock off the corners--it's just a square, and a big one at that. And then he does a lot of the planing while holding the stick on his knee! I think he breaks every rule I was taught.

I don't think your "shooting board" is a bad idea, but it might end up morphing into something a bit different. I'll have to post a picture of my own planing bench. I'm sure it will give you a good laugh.

Bob


Well Bob,

Josh Henry (a bow maker) took me up on my statement that I was going to learn this (bow making) no matter what, (this was on Maestronet) and sent me some incredible things to learn with... things like the loan of some bow planes, and some blanks to work with - & misc. etc's.

So, this is what I've posted pictures of so far. I am rather slow also. So be it. And I realize from being a violin maker for so many years that there are going to be very many different workable ways to accomplish this thing.
I have taken the route offered by Josh and am learning this methods - which I will be posting various pictures of here as I go along and as I learn more.
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whatwasithinking
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Craig,

Didn't mean to suggest doing otherwise! You're so lucky to have Josh giving you instruction. He has provided encouragement to me, but not to the extent that you're receiving! I do enjoy watching all of the masters who have recorded videos, even if I don't end up doing things the same way. I sometimes pick up ideas--with both methods and tools-that I can use.

If you're following Josh's instructions, you're in a good place.

Carry on!

Bob
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