24 replies to this topic

[hobbyjob]

I've seen fluting on either side of baroque bows that go the length of the bow. I'd like to add that feature to a baroque bow I'm making but I can't figure out how it's done.

Can anyone give me some direction on how this done?

thanks.

[Josh Henry]

The fluting on the sides of baroque bows is usually done with a notched scraper. You can easily make one from a standard scraper. Put a piece of masking tape on the scraper and then draw out the pattern of your fluting profile. Grind it to the pattern lines that you've drawn, and then touch up the cutting edge with a file or diamond stone. Hint: use one edge of the scraper as a guide along one facet of the bow, but keep that edge slightly rounded (as a guide edge, not a cutting edge).



Edit: After looking again at the picture, you won't want to make the rounded cutting edge so big. A much shorter and narrower cutting radius will give better results. The picture does show the concept though.

[hobbyjob]

Funny how things seem so simple after an explanation.

thanks

[lyndon]

seems to me this scraper only works when the stick is the same diametre, when you get to the thinner part near the head, the positioning of the little scraper is going to be way off, how do you compensate for that??

[fiddlecollector]

Lyndon makes a good point!

[Josh Henry]

seems to me this scraper only works when the stick is the same diameter, when you get to the thinner part near the head, the positioning of the little scraper is going to be way off, how do you compensate for that??

To compensate for the thinning of the stick, you could make several scrapers--each with a slightly different distance from the guide edge. Or, you could progressively add layers of tape on the guide edge (to reduce the distance) as you get to the thinner parts of the stick.

[Brad Dorsey]

To compensate for the thinning of the stick, you could make several scrapers--each with a slightly different distance from the guide edge. Or, you could progressively add layers of tape on the guide edge (to reduce the distance) as you get to the thinner parts of the stick.

Since I've never tried fluting a stick this is all conjectural, but another possibility might be to turn the scraper progressively farther from a ninety degree angle to the stick when working in the thinner part of the stick. Also, once the centering of the groove on a facet of the stick were established, the cutting part of the scraper would tend to follow the established groove.

[robertdo]

Is it not possible to make a simple jig consisting of stick the same size as the bow, but with one side progressively decreasing of width, the bow stick would be against the wood stick (meaning the total width would remain constant, that is equal to half the bow width at the largest point) and the scraper would rub against the other side of the wood stick. the fluting would be centered now without any change of the scraper or in the angle.

[Andres Sender]

I've done it with a jig where the scraper follows a guide and the stick is centered parallel to that. I've also done it with a scraper that's basically set up like a finger plane so your fingers guide it via contact on either side of the stick.

[MeyerFittings]

Lyndon makes a good point!

I once splined a sailor friend's mast that had dry rot under the sail track. I made a router base with two dowels that ran perpendicular to the base. These dowels acted as fences that kept the cutter centered on the tapered mast by holding them against the sides of the rectangular mast as it got smaller. The dowels basically rotated from an east to west orientation towards north to south. I had to keep the dowels firmly against the sides as I pushed the router towards the top of the mast, it was scary but it worked.

One could take Josh's jig and make it more like an H than an L shape and do the same sort of thing. Coudn't they? The U shaped scraper would also decrease in diameter as it rotated.

[James M. Jones]

I once splined a sailor friend's mast that had dry rot under the sail track. I made a router base with two dowels that ran perpendicular to the base. These dowels acted as fences that kept the cutter centered on the tapered mast by holding them against the sides of the rectangular mast as it got smaller. The dowels basically rotated from an east to west orientation towards north to south. I had to keep the dowels firmly against the sides as I pushed the router towards the top of the mast, it was scary but it worked.

One could take Josh's jig and make it more like an H than an L shape and do the same sort of thing. Coudn't they? The U shaped scraper would also decrease in diameter as it rotated.

I was going to point the same idea out.... an M shape though... where the bottom of the valley becomes the round scraper...we use a tool like this in the blacksmith shop for centering tappers... works well.

[FenwickG]

I've seen fluting on either side of baroque bows that go the length of the bow. I'd like to add that feature to a baroque bow I'm making but I can't figure out how it's done.

Can anyone give me some direction on how this done?

thanks.

[FenwickG]

Hello,
I had the same question and Rodney Mohr showed me how to do it with a small narrow gouge chisel. You have to be careful to keep the margins the same distance from the corners of the facits. In other words, center the groove on the flat with an equal margin on each side. That way the groove gets shallower and narrower as the stick gets smaller. It actually doesn't take all that long to do it. I hope this helps.

[Brad Dorsey]

...Rodney Mohr showed me how to do it with a small narrow gouge chisel...

And how do you do it? Freehand by eye? Or with some sort of guide?

[FenwickG]

And how do you do it? Freehand by eye? Or with some sort of guide?

[FenwickG]

Hello Brad,
Clamp the bow so it doesn't move and rub the flat facit with a pencil. This makes it shiny to reflect the light. I try to get behind the stick so I am working along the length rather than from the side. After the groove is completed with a chisel I run a 1/8" rasp dowm the grove to smooth off any slight irregularities. The rasp is a piece of 1/8" threaded drill rod. A threaded bow screw will also work. I can't remember what sweep the chisel has, but I will check and let you know.

[FenwickG]

Hello Brad,
Clamp the bow so it doesn't move and rub the flat facit with a pencil. This makes it shiny to reflect the light. I try to get behind the stick so I am working along the length rather than from the side. After the groove is completed with a chisel I run a 1/8" rasp dowm the grove to smooth off any slight irregularities. The rasp is a piece of 1/8" threaded drill rod. A threaded bow screw will also work. I can't remember what sweep the chisel has, but I will check and let you know.

[FenwickG]

The gouge I use is a 3mm number 11 sweep.

[Andres Sender]

These are the hastily made planes I used to use for this, set aside these 10 years or so. The ebony one has a blade made from drill stock and sharpened for scraping. The other one had a vertical blade with a larger radius and of course a wedge. With a narrow body you can use your thumb and finger on the sides of the stick as a guide.

[Josh Henry]

These are the hastily made planes I used to use for this, set aside these 10 years or so. The ebony one has a blade made from drill stock and sharpened for scraping. The other one had a vertical blade with a larger radius and of course a wedge. With a narrow body you can use your thumb and finger on the sides of the stick as a guide.

Very cool design Andres!. I might have to make up a few planes like that.