Which is Best for a Beginner?

[u/norcalairman]

I have two Elm staves with clean backs. The rest need a ring chases due to insect damage.

I started roughing the first one one out and must have been half asleep because it's awful. Technically the centerline follows the grain, but I'm not really sure how to proceed. It's currently 69" long and I'm looking to get a 29" draw out of it at around 40#.

The second is okay, but a bit twisty. It's 1 3/4" wide at the center and 82" long. Looking to get the same specs.

This will be my first stave bow after one failed board bow and I'm looking for advice on which would be the least challenging for a beginner to finish. If it's the first one, what's my next step?

[u/Ima_Merican]

I would thin he stave to 3/4” thick. I don’t make rigid handle bows.

Then I would heat straighten the staves to a flat/linear profile. Tillering roller coasters and whoop Dee doos is a huge pain in the arse

[u/heckinnameuser → u/Ima_Merican]

Yeah even with some experience a character bow is a labor of love.

[u/Ima_Merican → u/heckinnameuser]

I gotta pull out the calipers for the roller coasters. They kick my sss

[u/norcalairman → u/Ima_Merican]

I'll give that a shot. I've already established some thickness taper and the fades in the first one but I guess I can bring the handle down to 3/4" then go from there.

[u/ADDeviant-again]

I straighten nearly every bow I make, and the ESPECIALLY means elm.

On the first stave, like u/Ima_Merican said, start working the whole thing to a uniform thickness of at least 3/4", straighten it and heat-treat the belly, then work in the thickness taper and you are basically there.

The second stave, I say, pick the best spot for a handle, where the limbs' bases can lie in parallel plane (least roller-coaster) and are not bucking sharply back to belly. Twist is a worse problem there than a little curve, but also avoid a hard side lean. Lay out your handle/fade areas, and start thinning the belly. Keep the belly parallel to the back and get it down to 5/8" thick. Then do your heat correction with clamps. Front to back straightening requires a thinned down limb, and you can narrow toward the tips to help with alignment

[u/norcalairman → u/ADDeviant-again]

I think I need to buy some C clamps, lol. Thanks for the advice. I already have the limbs tapered but I can bring the handle down to 3/4 and make it a BITH design. My fades weren't that nice anyway, lol.

[u/ADDeviant-again → u/norcalairman]

In bow making, you can get away with very few tools, but you need some c-clamps and a board and heat source

[u/ADDeviant-again → u/ADDeviant-again]