Trad Gang

Got my order from Binghams and noticed I ordered a 70 inch hose to build 64" bows. A little to short I think   . It's poring the rain down. I worked on my form from 10:00 this morning till 4:30 and am still not finished. Almost threw my router down the hill. First time using a router and fairly sure it will be the last time.  Started wondering why everyone makes their form taller on the top or bottom. Can they be the same. Picked up my instruction from Kenny on riser build, noticed a lot of red on the paper. That would be the blood coming out of multiple cuts on my hands. The pot of coffee I drank this morning was good, so day isn't a total waste. Going to get back at it in a few minutes   :D   . Don

Don't give up. You are not even to the fun part. You will be amazed at how slick laminations are with smooth on all over them! You'll be hooked when you build that first shootable bow. good luck! Mike

Thanks, I'm still plugging away   :D . Don

I rarely ever complete a project without seeing some of my own blood. It's almost like a right of passage that no project is truly complete until I dribble some of my own blood all over it.   :knothead:    :goldtooth:

Don I think my 64" form takes a 80" hose? at least thats what I ordered when I bought it.. I also had never used a router before building a form, I bought a 2" long bottom bearing bit so I can make one pass..after fighting the router I ended up buying and using a router table, that works so much better for me.. good luck with your form. Pic is of my 64" KennyM design bow form.     (http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt46/Robertfishes/bow8form.jpg)

Robertfishes, I'm trying to get where your form is in the picture. I think I'm going to order an 80 in hose. I hope I can sell the 70 inch hose. SEMO HUNTER, I always bleed when doing any kind of project. I agree, it's a right of passage thing. Don

Don, gonna walk out to the shop and measure the hose and up date actual size..OK measured my air hose, it's 83" long and I have a couple of inches extra on each end, the Bingham plugs take up 3 inches of hose on each end..If you are going to build recurves or takedowns the 70" hose should work for you. As you can see in this pic the 83" hose is plenty long..I'm sure I ordered 80" didn't measure it until tonight it's 83" long..  (http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt46/Robertfishes/2ndlongbowglueup.jpg)

I know what ya mean don. I had a bow that I was building for my father in law take a turn for the worse the other night. Then the yesterday I broke a spark plug off in the engine block of my truck. Hopefully today will be a better day!

You guys ought to be my age and on blood pressure pills. When I get cut I bleed like crazy, the floor in the bow shop looks like blood trails:)

i can go one further. i'm on coumadin. "ya gotta be alive to complain" is what i always tell my wife and kids.
             don

Don, Sometimes you've got to walk away and take a break... Dont give up, and dont push yourself to hard. Hang in there.

I got my form sanded smooth this morning so I'm feeling a little better. I think my table saw just broke something so it's not a great day though  :(  . Don

Don its real easy to get discourages, just keep your chin up.  When I was getting mine going.  I have access to firehoses.  I got ahold of an old 1.5 inch.  I made my plugs out of PVC.  I put a gage on one end and a ball valve on the other so I could ease the air pressure into it.  I cut the hose to size plugged the ends and the hose I got looked good on the outside but was dryrotted on the inside and after two tries at two differant pieces of hose I couldnt get it to hold air.  I asked a friend to bring me a new hose.  He didn't know that I needed a 1.5 inch and he brought me a 3 inch piece.  So I had to make all new plugs for the ends which took three tires to get them to hold air and not blow out.  After getting that straightened out I had to widen the steel brackets on the form to allow for the extra width of the 3 inch hose.  got my first bow ready for the glue up and put it in the form and went to put in my oven and I forgot to subtract the length of the ball valve from the length of the hose and when it was inflated it stuck out and liked 2 inches fitting in my form.  Imagine the aggrivation.  After a few choice words and head shaking and actually laughing a lot luckly I used urac so it could still cure in the house.  Yes it would have been easier to just have ordered it from Binghams. hahahahaha but oh well all part of the adventure.  And the second bow went much much easier by the way. hahahaha