Thanks, I can see where I was trying to muscle the cutting, I will take your approach next go round.
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Building a bow with a Khukuri!
- Thread starter T. C. Weston
- Start date
Thanks, I can see where I was trying to muscle the cutting, I will take your approach next go round.
Let the weight of the kukri do te work. As it approaches to the target, switch from the 3 fingers that held it that far to all, to all five, by a flick of the wrist, which will accelerate it. Don't do monster swings, and on long dstances. Shorter, sewing machine-like, at the pace you are comfortable.
Use the sweet spot (section 2): http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/720287-(WiP)-A-kukri-s-quot-working-edges-quot , unless you have an educated reason not to. Sch as, when used as a draw knife
.
Use the sweet spot (section 2): http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/720287-(WiP)-A-kukri-s-quot-working-edges-quot , unless you have an educated reason not to. Sch as, when used as a draw knife
.
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The flick wrist technique is really effective and it lends to the balance of the kukri. Sorry to hear about the staff, hopefully you didn't have to much time into it. It looked like a winner from the start but those rot holes are crazy big.
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Yep, compliments of the Black Locust Borer (megacyllene robiniae). Those little buggers can really wreak havoc on a stave. I'm not counting it out yet!
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- Apr 10, 2011
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- 153
Well, it's a goner! The deeper I went into the stave the worse it got. The locust borers turned this stave into swiss cheese. And so, a Viking funeral!
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We're not done though! I ordered in some premium staves. There is an Osage Orange, and a Hackberry stave. Both cost a pretty penny, but it's worth it if they yield a good bow. I've selected the Hackberry (the longer of the two) because it's a white wood which means the back is ready to go as is. No need to find a ring for the back; with a white wood, the hard part is already done.
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If you can see, I've sketched out the outline of the bow dimensions on the back, and am using it as a rough guide as I shape the bow with my khukuri. The Chiruwa Ang Khola goes through this stuff like a hot knife through butter!
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Here, I'm roughing in the handle section. If you can see, I've marked out the center of the bow, and put a line one inch above center, and three below.
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Here's the stave, roughed out and beginning to resemble a bow. This is a beautiful stave, no knots, straight grain, no bugs, and well worth the price I paid. Now that the basic shape is there, it's time to be really careful! One over zealous strike of the knife and the whole things done, as sure as if the bugs got it.
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To be continued!
We're not done though! I ordered in some premium staves. There is an Osage Orange, and a Hackberry stave. Both cost a pretty penny, but it's worth it if they yield a good bow. I've selected the Hackberry (the longer of the two) because it's a white wood which means the back is ready to go as is. No need to find a ring for the back; with a white wood, the hard part is already done.
If you can see, I've sketched out the outline of the bow dimensions on the back, and am using it as a rough guide as I shape the bow with my khukuri. The Chiruwa Ang Khola goes through this stuff like a hot knife through butter!
Here, I'm roughing in the handle section. If you can see, I've marked out the center of the bow, and put a line one inch above center, and three below.
Here's the stave, roughed out and beginning to resemble a bow. This is a beautiful stave, no knots, straight grain, no bugs, and well worth the price I paid. Now that the basic shape is there, it's time to be really careful! One over zealous strike of the knife and the whole things done, as sure as if the bugs got it.
To be continued!
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very cool... That is one uniform piece of osage you got there. I know that would can be expensive, especially in a piece of wood that large. I have some knives with osage handles that are gorgeous but I paid extra for scales. Looks to be a winner here!
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I knew that osage orange (hedge apple) wood was tough & flexible, great for bows. I never knew about hackberry being useful for that application.
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I walked my property looking for some ipe but its been dead too long and all split up. About the only wood left thats still good here is red cedar. I have read that its pretty brittle? Its three years dead but no bugs or rot. Might try a piece just for practice? I didnt know about hackberry either but it is some tough stuff. It commonly grows along fence lines here. Ive heard the birds sit on the fence and crap the seeds out so thats why they concentrate along fence lines. Farmers usually mow everywhere else. Ill keep my eyes open for someone doing some clearing.
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Red cedar is excellent, very resistant to compression, but you will want to back it. If you can get your hands on some white wood that's usually the easiest place to start. This is my first time working this stuff, and to me it feels a lot like working vine maple. Some people say it's like hickory, either way there should be no problem making this work.
I've got the stave in my red neck bowyers bench, and am planing the chop marks off, leaving the limb smooth and even. Notice the paper thin, almost transparent shavings. That's what you want at this stage.
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I've got the stave in my red neck bowyers bench, and am planing the chop marks off, leaving the limb smooth and even. Notice the paper thin, almost transparent shavings. That's what you want at this stage.
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Looks like its coming along nice, it looks like a bow! Love the pictures, keep em coming. You got a few people here with spring bow fever and you are the cure :thumbup:
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So the white wood you dont have to worry about the rings so much? Is it because there is no structural difference between the summer and winter rings?
I went and gathered up some red cedar today for some suitable stave subjects. Not sure but it seems to have many radial cracks. It is a little over three years since harvest so im wondering if it might be too dry now? I have another tree about 18 feet long with straight grain im working on as well. Ill cut off the ends and see if the cracks are all the way through or just on the weathered ends. If they look like they are suitable Ill send you some staves. I can quarter saw them and see whats inside next weekend (i hope). Most of the pieces have at least 70" before any knots. Thanks man! Good thing your doing here! Love to see this kind of info being shared here! Hats off sir!
Pretty sure them cracks are the same depth throughout.
One side of this one is 70+ without knots the other side has one under 70".
I got about 8 or 10 of these 6" diameter ones that have small knots but nothing major. I used them for a Tee Pee to live in after my house burned down so they are well seasoned. Maybe too dry after three years.
What do ya think? Im thinking they might be too dry with all them deep radial cracks?
I went and gathered up some red cedar today for some suitable stave subjects. Not sure but it seems to have many radial cracks. It is a little over three years since harvest so im wondering if it might be too dry now? I have another tree about 18 feet long with straight grain im working on as well. Ill cut off the ends and see if the cracks are all the way through or just on the weathered ends. If they look like they are suitable Ill send you some staves. I can quarter saw them and see whats inside next weekend (i hope). Most of the pieces have at least 70" before any knots. Thanks man! Good thing your doing here! Love to see this kind of info being shared here! Hats off sir!
Pretty sure them cracks are the same depth throughout.
One side of this one is 70+ without knots the other side has one under 70".
I got about 8 or 10 of these 6" diameter ones that have small knots but nothing major. I used them for a Tee Pee to live in after my house burned down so they are well seasoned. Maybe too dry after three years.
What do ya think? Im thinking they might be too dry with all them deep radial cracks?
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Awesome picture Berkley!
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The great thing about white woods is that you don't have to go all the way down to the heartwood. The bark usually pops off in the tillering process, and there's the back of your bow. The early rings are still soft, and the late rings are still hard, it's just that you don't have to chase them.
There could be some solid wood inside those pole. If you can manage to split out a 2"x2" piece you'd have something to work with. Those check do run deep though, so I'd say if you can't find a workable piece early on, don't torture yourself trying to make it work.
Great picture Berkley!
There could be some solid wood inside those pole. If you can manage to split out a 2"x2" piece you'd have something to work with. Those check do run deep though, so I'd say if you can't find a workable piece early on, don't torture yourself trying to make it work.
Great picture Berkley!
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Berk always seems to have such interesting stuff to add to a thread when he stops by. Great pic thanks.
Travis, sorry to see the demise of your work on the black locust. That Hackberry looks really nice to work with smooth and easy. In the pictures it appears like it has a slight warp towards the darker side. Even the picture where it shows you finished with the basic shape appears to warp that direction which it appears you selected as the back of the bow. first does it have the warp it appears? also if so did you choose the "direction" of the bow based on that? Or would that always have been the back even if the wood warped the other way?
Travis, sorry to see the demise of your work on the black locust. That Hackberry looks really nice to work with smooth and easy. In the pictures it appears like it has a slight warp towards the darker side. Even the picture where it shows you finished with the basic shape appears to warp that direction which it appears you selected as the back of the bow. first does it have the warp it appears? also if so did you choose the "direction" of the bow based on that? Or would that always have been the back even if the wood warped the other way?
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Yes, the warp is actually referred to as "reflex" and is something you want in a bow as it will make the bow shoot faster. Lot's of bowyers will put reflex into their bows with steam or dry heat, but this was present naturally. If the bow curves the other way that is called "deflex" and if is introduced during tillering and shooting we call that "string follow". This bow will undoubtedly loose some of the reflex as it progresses, and a little string follow isn't a bad thing either.
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sooo cool thanks for sharing all of these pics
thanks for sharing all of these pics- Joined
- Apr 10, 2011
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- 153
Well everyone, I haven't given up on the project, so here's an update. There is still too much wood on the limbs, so I'm removing a bit with my khukuri.
If this looks dangerous, that's because it is! This is a very controlled drawknife action, smoothing out some rough spots.
At this point, I've decided to start using a farrier's rasp to smooth out some chop marks, and in general remove wood in a very controlled way. I'm at the point where it would be too easy to take too much off in any one area and thus ruin the bow. I'll be using the rasp and khukuri interchangeably from here on.
I've finally removed enough wood to begin floor tillering. Tillering is the process of teaching the wood how to bend without breaking. As I bend the limb, the inflexible bark begins to pop off the back of the bow. This is where you have to brace yourself for the sound, because it sounds for all the world as if you just broke your stave when the bark lets loose.
Just lift the bark off and remove.
This is the beautiful thing about working white wood. What your seeing here is the back of the bow. That is one, perfect ring that I don't have to mess with. Just get the bark off, and there you go!
From here on, it will be a careful process of tillering, limb symmetry, and keeping the centerline intact from both limb tips through the handle. Target weight is between 45 and 50 lbs.
If this looks dangerous, that's because it is! This is a very controlled drawknife action, smoothing out some rough spots.
At this point, I've decided to start using a farrier's rasp to smooth out some chop marks, and in general remove wood in a very controlled way. I'm at the point where it would be too easy to take too much off in any one area and thus ruin the bow. I'll be using the rasp and khukuri interchangeably from here on.
I've finally removed enough wood to begin floor tillering. Tillering is the process of teaching the wood how to bend without breaking. As I bend the limb, the inflexible bark begins to pop off the back of the bow. This is where you have to brace yourself for the sound, because it sounds for all the world as if you just broke your stave when the bark lets loose.
Just lift the bark off and remove.
This is the beautiful thing about working white wood. What your seeing here is the back of the bow. That is one, perfect ring that I don't have to mess with. Just get the bark off, and there you go!
From here on, it will be a careful process of tillering, limb symmetry, and keeping the centerline intact from both limb tips through the handle. Target weight is between 45 and 50 lbs.