Cutting limb profiles? (glass bow)

[Robertfishes]

don't try to get too close to your lines with the 36 grit belt..its pretty rough and can leave some crazy hard to sand out "tool marks"..36 grit removes glass and wood quickly, I like to stop 1/8" before line, then go to the 120 grit belt. I used to use a 50 grit belt but switched to the 36 since its faster...some guys have awesome skills with table saws and band saws, I'm more comfortable with the edge sanders for removing material from limb edges.

[kennym]

Robert is right, you can't put it back on once it's off!!  

[Sixby]

Disk grinder as Kenny and then to the big belt sander.  I tape and center mark the tape top and belly of limb. Just set my micrometer to half and scripe light line down tape. That way I have a mid line to tiller too. I also have a thin three foot steel ruler I lay out my tapers with . I do not use a pattern. I lay out my notch and the taper length from there that I want. Then lay the ruler on the top, clamp it down with spring clamps and using a sharp knife cut the tape and remove the tape off of the part of the limb I am going to grind. I grind on the disk just so I can still see the glass, Take it to the line sander and grind to the tape.

God bless, Steve

[monterey]

I tried putting an eight inch abrasive wheel on a table saw and found that to be a good solution.  

Steve, I like your system of cutting away the tape to the profile line, but what do you do if the profile lines are not straight?

[Bowlim]

If it has fiberglass in it, I prefer not to grind it, might as well toss a bag of asbestos around the shop, you will be breathing it for the rest of your time in the shop.  I will do it outdoors, but even that doesn't thrill me.  A really sharp hand plane will make short work of it.  I use a bi-metal metal cutting bandsaw to rough it out, and I do that outdoors.  One needs to work from fat to thin to avoid blowing out glass.

[Wagstaff]

We do it the same way Steve described.. Cut and remove the tape to the limb profile line.. Use the disc sander to get close, then belt sander to the line for a nice straight limb edge.

[Pago]

Bandsaw then belt sander.