Rope bow form?

[Amakusa]

Does anyone know how to do this or know where I can find fairly detailed instructions on how to do this?

http://www.bowsforpros.com/photo05.htm

[kauboy]

I've never seen that method before.
Very interesting.

If anyone has any information on this, I'd sure like to know too.

Oh, and welcome to the forums!

[Amakusa]

well all I can find is this:If the worker has no clamps, he may wrap the three
pieces of wood with a good piece of washline. To do
this, after placing the two glued pieces together, let
them remain a few minutes under some slight pressure,
and after placing the pine strip next to the hickory,
tie the ends with a piece of heavy cord or rope. Then
proceed to wrap the three pieces of wood spirally as
tight as possible with the rope. Then drive small
wedges under the rope at intervals to further increase
the pressure. Figure 29 shows a section of such a
wrapped bow. Notice that the pressure is great enough
to cause the glue to ooze out on both sides. Allow the
glue to dry for at least 24 hours ; 48 would be better.
Do not try to bend the bow for a week at least. The
stave can be worked into shape without being beet.
When the clamps or ropes are off, scrape off the glue
on the edges and then proceed as with the flat bow.
Round off the belly or walnut part of the bow a little
more than the back which should have only a slight

http://www.archive.org/download/flatbow002291mbp/flatbow002291mbp.pdf page 17

[JPKalishek]

Yumi bows are often made that way.
Never seen a good, in depth description of it either. Some call it the Wedge Method iirc.

[Amakusa]

Thank you JPKalishek, Yumi bows were exactly what I was looking for! and I believe you wanted a detailed build along??? well follow the white rabbit down the hole...........http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/22774

[JPKalishek]

Thanks Amakusa, That is, so far, the best I've seen.
Still not as detailed as I'd like, but the description is the best.

[crimbizzle]

So the rope and wedges are used to tighten as well as force reflex or deflex into your stave at glue up? Guess when you don't have rubber bands, spring clamps, air hoses or modern power equipment these are the kinds of solutions that present themselves. How elegant.

[beltower]

Looking at it I would say that the tow thick pieces are the “forms” and the rope is a clamp to put pressure on the form and hold everything tight.

Some of the things that I like to do if I use a similar method is to:

1 Put some masking tape on the belly and back of the bow to prevent glue from getting on them and making them harder to finish.
2 If I am using a glue that dose not need to dry (a resin base and not a water base) I like to wrap the bow with Suran wrap so that the form stays in good shape. If you use a glue that dries (wood glue) wrap the form with the Suran wrap
3 you can use an old bike inner tube cut into strips to hold the form together in a similar method.