The Traveling Caul Design **Clamp Problem Resolved*Final Pics, Project Complete**

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Look what I scored at Lowes today.
3 - 2x8x8ft. boards @ $4.59 each

I feel a Caul build coming on!            

   

[Lee Slikkers]

Do it!  I'll be taking notes...

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Hey Lee, I'm gonna pass this design on to you real soon. I'll make you a template when I'm done, you know where the original design came from.....Mr. DVSHunter.    

Then you can pass along the tradition to the next guy, so I'll make you the "New Keeper" of the Caul.
 

[Lee Slikkers]

LOL, Sweet, I have an "Official Bow related Title" now...

I'd be happy to pass it on, look forward to the Build-a-Long.

Thanks Chris!

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I changed the title of this post because the caul build is now underway. I have to first give credit where credit is due and explain what this new tradition will be.

I asked DVSHunter about his caul design awhile back and expressed my enthusiasm to build one like his because I want to put some zip in my whip, some sting in my zing, some whummp in my stump.....well you get the idea.
Dave makes some awesome looking Osage bows as you all have seen, so I wanted to incorporate some of that into my own.
Out of the goodness of his heart, he traced the design of his caul and mailed it to me. Thank you so much Dave!

So now after acquiring my 2x8's yesterday evening at Lowes I've finally begun my caul build. I wanted to post a little build along of how I'm doing it so the next guys in line to build themselves one off this same pattern will have a little something to go by.

Next in line is Lee Slikkers to receive this pattern as soon as I'm done with it. Why? Because he asked for it first. So when he receives it he will then be the  "Keeper of the Caul"  until he passes the torch onto the next guy. Then that person will then pass it along to the next, then the next. If anybody wants to get in on this you will need to contact the  "Keeper"  to get in line. It's pretty simple, and I'm sure you all will figure out how this is gonna work.
Ok, enough blabbing and on with the progress.

So far I have laid out  my pattern on the 2x8's which are 8 foot long and I could actually get by with 6 footers, but they only sell them in 8ft. lengths.

First thing I did was mark a line 1 1/2" from the edge of my board and line up the intersecting lines on each end so the pattern will be even throughout from end to end. Why 1.5" you ask? Because I'm trying to keep the pattern close enough to the edge so I don't have to go out and buy huge clamps in order to clamp a bow blank to the caul. If I utilized the entire 7" and something for the width of the 2x8 then I would have to have 10" clamps to make it work. This way I may be able to get by with 6" clamps? Don't really know yet.

Here's the pics of my progress so far.

 

 

Now line up the end marks on the pattern with the 1.5" line on both ends that I marked the length of the board.
You can see that this pattern is 62" long from each end mark, but the line keeps going down from the end. So continue following that arc all the way down till it runs off the board. This will give you another 2" of run out on the ends of the caul to make 4" more total length which translates into a 66" bow blank possible before it runs off the caul, at that point if a longer bow is desired the ends of the tips would just run off the ends of the pattern. You get the idea here, you can still make your 70" longbows with this caul if you want, but the last few inches won't be clamped to the actual board, they will simply just run off the ends.

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED..............

[scrub-buster]

Very nice.  I like this.

[DVSHUNTER]

looks good semo. I'm behind again! I have to make two more copies and send them to a few guys to pass around too. I give credit to mike yancy @ pinehollw bows for putting the idea in my head and also my neighbor chris and some liquid inspiration for the actual lines. Can't wait to see a few more bows off it.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

I sent a PM to the "Keeper"    

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I bet before it's all over every selfbow builder in Trad Gang Land will have a copy of your caul Dave. This may be your legacy man!          

BTW- Just so you all know, I laminated the edges of the pattern with heavy packaging tape (Clear) before I cut the pattern out. So it should be fairly durable, hopefully won't rip or tear. It should also be water proof, beer proof, and snot prool so this same pattern can be used over and over again.

[Lee Slikkers]

Stiks, got your PM/Address so we're all set.

Semo, do you happen to have a pic of any bows made off that caul design?  I'd love to see a couple examples...

Thanks~

[StoneAK]

This is awesome. I would love to get in on this history in the making. Thanks for the insight.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by Lee Slikkers:
Stiks, got your PM/Address so we're all set.

Semo, do you happen to have a pic of any bows made off that caul design?  I'd love to see a couple examples...

Thanks~

Maybe we can get DVS to post some of his?
He is the original user of this caul and has put some fine lookin curves into some of his bows with it. In the meantime I'll see if I can dig some of his bow pics up.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Here's one of Dave's most recent masterpieces.
Scroll on down to see the pics of the bow sitting on top of the caul.

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=005627;p=1

[Lee Slikkers]

Sweet, love the curves on that bow.  Can't wait!

Oh, before you drop it in the mail Chris, why don't we have each person who receives it sign it before they pass it on...would be pretty cool to see all the folks who have used it??

[Lee Slikkers]

  Never mind Chris...just worked my way through all my emails/PM's and got yours, least we were on the same page with the idea. LOL

Thanks~

[DVSHUNTER]

Here are a few pics that I can find.

I used less reflex in thi s one.



This one had less deflex and more reflex.


These were the first ones from the caul.






The nice thing is you can experiment with the caul. add more reflex or deflex until you get the profile that you are looking for.  I"m sending out the last few patterns tomorrow. I think it will be five or so total. Hopefully everyone will pass them around when they are done. Looking forward to seeing other bows from it.

PS I think that the two sides are a bit off so I only use one side and heat one limb at a time, but it does work going all at once.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Thanks for posting those pics here Dave, I looked through some old posts and couldn't remember which ones had pics of your bows in them. Those all look sweet!

Couple of questions and I think some of the other guys would be interested in these answers also.

First question is, how much do you heat the bow to get it to retain that shape? I mean, is it necessary to actually "brown" or discolor the wood surface, or just get it hot through and through?

Second, at what stage in the tillering process do you put your curves in the bow blank? Do you tiller first then heat, or just work the bow blank down to a certain thickness, then heat the shape in, and then tiller??

I've never used a caul before and it seems like you've got a good system going.

Thanks

My nephews are down here at my house for a few days so the caul build is at a stand still until they leave. I can't get much done with an 8yr. old and a 6 yr. old under foot. They want to be into anything I'm doing and though I love em to death, it's hard to concentrate with 2 boys touching and grabbing everything on my work bench. LOL
Not to mention the constant barrage of questions!

[DVSHUNTER]

Semo-  Everything I learned about heating bows I got from right here and justg going for it. I don't heat them enough to change the color, rather just get it hot enough that I cant touch it for more than a moment before It would burn.  I do all my heating before ever stressing the wood.  I just shape them limbs a bit and go for it.

Funny thing about those questions...  :rolleyes:  
HAHA where would WE be without some good answers.

[Lee Slikkers]

OK, since we're tossing out "Caul" and "Heat treating" questions...I have a couple.

1) I assume the clamping surface needs to be as smooth and fair as possible?

2) Do you folks lay down a band (metal, etc) of something instead of sanding/fairing in the Caul surface?

3) Let's say you are working white wood and it has some fairly excessive twists you need to heat, shim and clamp...how/what do you use to as wedges to keep from crushing or leaving wedge impressions on the softer woods?

I think that should get the ball rolling, at least in my court  

[SEMO_HUNTER]

DVS Quote - "PS I think that the two sides are a bit off so I only use one side and heat one limb at a time, but it does work going all at once."

I actually put a steel rule, and a tape measure on your caul design then began to take measurments and lay out some numbers on it.....you would be surprised just how close it is. One little area on the far end in the pic had a high spot and I fixed that, so it's nearly perfect in the pic you see on page 1 where I actually cut the shape out of the pattern.    


Lee- That's why I'm going to try and cut mine with a router, then if it's not smooth enough I'll work on it with a drum sander a little bit. Since you will be putting the curves in the bow blank before tillering I wouldn't think it would leave enough of an impression in the wood that it won't be gone after wood removal? I could be wrong, but I'll use some kind of small wood pads under my clamp bases to go against the bow when I clamp it down, probably small thin squares of plywood.

If you were using the caul to laminate a bow for gluing then everything changes, but just for wood bending I don't intend to use any kind of pressure strip as such.

Again, I'm no expert yet and Dave may have a different answer?