Where to find scraper shave?

[James Carmichael]

Well I have a new obsession in woodworking: making primitive, wooden bows. After building a couple and littering my shop with misshahpen corpses of many aborted attempts, I've decided the ideal tool for tillering a bow is going to be a scraper shave(s). Ideally, one with a thick iron about 2" wide bedded at 95-degrees to the direction of cut.

Unfortunately, I am too time-challenged to make my own and I'm not aware of anyone currently making them. I keep an eye on MJD and Walt Quadrato's sites (Walt kindly sent some pictures of his collection, but currently has none). Any ideas?

[Dave Anderson NH]

I'd call or email Glenn livingston at Woodjoy Tools. He makes scrapers for chairmakers aka "chair devils" and might be able to make you one. His stuff is top quality and reasonably priced. No affiliation except that he is a friend and I own his mini-bronze spokeshave- a great tool.

[James Carmichael]

Bingo!

Thanks Dave!

[Roger Nixon]

If you are making North American flat bows, some good tools to use are a block plane, a cabinet scraper such as a Stanley #80, spoke shaves (metal or wood), a draw knife, hand scrapers, rasps and Surform type planes.
For final tillering, a Stanley #80, hand scrapers and sandpaper work well.
Here (http://bowyersworkshop.com/) is a good site with instructions.

[James Carmichael]

Roger,

I have used all the above, with the exception of the cabinet scraper. A spokeshave works OK for English-style bows that have a rounded belly, but I get too much chatter trying to get a full-width shaving on a flat bow (in fairness, I haven't tried a really good SS yet). My block plane does very well tillering English-style bows, also, but for an American-style with a thick, narrow handle, I need something that can work the limb right up to the fade and preferably, take a full-width flat cut. My card scraper does this pretty well, but who wants to hog away 1/8" of wood with one of those :eek:.

[Roger Nixon]

Roger,

I have used all the above, with the exception of the cabinet scraper. A spokeshave works OK for English-style bows that have a rounded belly, but I get too much chatter trying to get a full-width shaving on a flat bow (in fairness, I haven't tried a really good SS yet). My block plane does very well tillering English-style bows, also, but for an American-style with a thick, narrow handle, I need something that can work the limb right up to the fade and preferably, take a full-width flat cut. My card scraper does this pretty well, but who wants to hog away 1/8" of wood with one of those :eek:.

Not me! :) I wouldn't be too concerned with full width shavings if I needed to remove 1/8". I just whittle away with an old wooden shave set deeper on one side until I get closer, then switch to a Stanley #51, then to a card scraper. A cabinetmaker's rasp will also shape the handle/fade section fairly quickly. The #80 isn't any good for the fade areas as it can't make that tight a curve. It is nice for the flat limbs.
I have made only two self bows from an ash board but both came out well. I would like to try hickory staves next and work up to Osage Orange.