At the risk of giving low hanging fruit to Roy and Ben, today I cut my first shelf on the wrong side. In my defense, it was on a reverse handled Hill bow. I was in a hurry. Verified which hand it was supposed to be for the recipient and cut away. The bow was taking shape nicely (limbs and tips are always done before the handle area.) I was all but done when it hit me that I had it backwards.

Anyhow, I can't be the first one. Anyone else out there willing to fess up?

Now I just need to find someone who matches these specs in the correct hand.

I bent one recurve up and one down on a selfbow.

QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B:
I bent one recurve up and one down on a selfbow.

That's damned funny.

Dave, why not just make it a forward handle? Or a regular handle? Whichever makes it shoot from the correct side .... Its glass on both sides anyway and should bend just fine ....

Yup. Lol but then it became the perfect Christmas present for my lefty father in law. He loved it so in the end it was all good.

I did it once!  If it happens again, I won't be admitting to it!

Hell yeah ! I knew I wasn't the only one...
__________
Andy

I think I did, once...

I haven't done that... yet.

ALMOST did that on my first one. I did make about a 1" cut before I realized my mistake. Filled it with expoxy, still shooting her 3 years later.    

I am right handed and when I build a bow for a leftie I always check at least 4 times before cutting the shelf. Almost but not yet.

James

Not yet, but I am nowhere near perfect!
Besides, if I do cut one on the wrong side, I'll just say I wanted to try shooting left handed... I am left eye dominant after all.      
Dave.

Never cut a shelf wrong, but did file in a set of string nocks backwards. Did it on both limbs before I caught it.

I don't cut a shelf on my wood bows, but I do narrow the handle for the arrow pass on that side.  I've almost done it on the wrong side more than once.  Luckily the bow gods slapped me upside my head and I snapped out of it at the last second.    :eek:

DOH!!!      

And don't you engineer nuclear subs or something like that???    

Sorry Dave.  Couldn't resist.

Now a left handed reverse handle would really mess with your mind.

I did it once and soon after the bow broke because I thought there was enough meat in the handle area to accommodate a right hand shelf, sure as flys on poop she snapped in the handle area.
The design and tiller was sweet boy I was mad   :mad:

check , check, and check again.

Hold the bow in your hand and mark it.

and check again

Ive only been building bows for a couple of years. My first couple turned out as decent as i could expect so i got a lil bit of a big head...didnt last long.  I was working on a hickory board bow and kinda showing my daughter how daddy does it. The limbs turned out great but as i was "showing" her how to cut in a shelf....welp, guess yall know what i did. Brother in law is a southpaw so he got a new hickory longbow. Big head syndrome is gone now

I haven't done it yet,but I haven't built that many bows .But knowing myself and if any of you want to make some sure money ,place a bet cause its just a matter of time.  :rolleyes:

QuoteOriginally posted by Mark Daniel:
check , check, and check again.

Hold the bow in your hand and mark it.

and check again

Did that. But from now on, there will be a final check with the bow strung! (To make sure I'm not holding it backwards.)

I always get accused of cutting it on the wrong side    :D