What's a linseed?

I finished my first pernambuco bow with several coats of linseed oil. As the oil dries, it darkens the wood, highlights the grain patterns, and forms a satiny protective coating over the wood. Not the same as a high-gloss French polish, but just as beautiful.

Coming together

Almost there! A little bit of oil polishing, leather and wrapping, and then the stick should be ready for hairing.

Grinding on a Budget

Ever since I started into this bowmaking work, I've heard again and again that I should get a grinder. Well, someone on the other side of town just upgraded his grinder and wanted to get rid of his old one for $25. It was a 'dealio' I couldn't refuse. I've since used my grinder to shape a single-bevel knife and to make a new, much-needed mini-chisel. Looks like this new tool is going to be seeing a lot of action.

Shop-made tools

I've been reluctant to make my own tools, but more and more I find that what I need to make a good bow is pretty hard to find (and expensive, too). So, I've begun learning how to make my own chisels, spade drill bits, etc. It's actually pretty fun, a lot easier than I thought, and very fulfilling.

Above, you see a set of DOCKYARD MICRO CHISELS, currently on sale for: $48.64.

Below, a set of PHILLIPS MICRO CHISELS and a 3.2mm spade bit, costing a grand total of .64 cents (plus a little elbow grease)! The wood is a maple dowel from Home Depot, and the metal parts are music wire (high carbon spring steel) shaped with a file, heated to cherry red over an alcohol lamp, tempered at 425 degrees in the oven for 30 minutes, and then sharpened to a fine edge on a stone.

Peeewwww!

I've had lots of trouble gluing the tip onto the Bubinga bow I gave Kristin for Christmas '09. I had tried wood glue, white glue, gorilla glue, and... you guessed it - hot glue (no project should be attempted without incorporating at least a little hot glue!).

This time around, I whipped out the epoxy. Never used it before, and figured I wanted to get it right the first time on this pernambuco bow. It turned out to be perfect for this job, but boy, does its smell bad! Last night, after I glued the top on and tied it up with dental floss, I went upstairs to join Kristin for part III of the new Sense and Sensibility (which is awesome, by the way!). It took some good coaxing and a few trips outside (closing up the garage, taking out some garbage bags, etc.) to win back that most coveted movie seat next to my baby!

The next morning, if you can believe it, the whole basement still smelled like fresh epoxy. I took out the garbage, threw away everything that had any glue residue on it (except for the bow, of course!), and now things are smellin' a little better down in the workshop.

Ebony & Ivory

The tip of the bow is protected (strengthened) from accidental blows by a covering of ebony and ivory. I've glued the two pieces together with gorilla glue and then filed the head to fit perfectly into the profile of the tip.

All Wrapped Up!

The underslide is glued into the frog, and the frog is placed on the stick to ensure a tight fit once the glue dries. The underslide will protect both wooden parts from the constant wear that would otherwise occur when the frog slides back and forth (tensioning the horse hair). The pieces are "all wrapped up" with high tensile-strength, waxed flattening string (um..., a.k.a. dental floss)!

The frog gets its legs!

Drying the frog after application of linseed oil.

Drilling the eyelet hole.

Screw/eyelet, frog, underslide, and ferrule (above) all come together (below).

Putting the hop into the frog

Forming (below) and drilling (above) the silver underslide.

Trapezoid-shaped frog blank (above), cut by scroll saw out of 1x1x12 ebony plank (below).