Any other bowmakers on here?

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

I posted my previous without reading the thread (slaps forehead!)

Rik

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Mike Donnerstag on 14/07/2019 11:13:00:

mark smith 20: Very true, though it could really be made from something more hardwearing for practical purposes. I see a lot of old bows with lovely figured pearl slides that have been almost eaten through from the acidic sweat of the player's fingers.

The effect of acidic sweat on instruments can be dramatic!

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Couple of comments,

Cost – SWIMBO's bow cost more than my last car (both used, car not as old as the bow)

On carbon fibre , to get the best performance (weight, stiffness / flexibility in different planes for starters) would you not have to layup the correct combination of fabric and direction of lay rather than just cutting out of a pre cured sheet?

Robert G8RPI.

[Mike DonnerstagParticipant @mikedonnerstag]

I have to admit that I have little idea of how carbon fibre bows are manufactured – it doesn't seem like healthy or enjoyable work, nor does it produce a traditional bow that professionals are willing to pay good money for. I believe solid carbon fibre and fibreglass bows are best suited to mass production, rather than the small batches and one-offs that I will be making.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Hi Mike,

I've been away from the internet in Mull for the last week or so and have come late to the discussion. I've made a few "historical " bows in the past to go with the Viols and Baroque style violins and violas that I had a go at making. These bows were rather less sophisticated than the modern Tourte bow with a simpler frog and a positive camber caused by the hair tension which, in the case of the viol bows, is adjusted while playing using the fingers in an underhand grip. Although Snakewood seemed to be the go to wood for earlier bows I could never justify the expense – this bow was made from Partridgewood.

I used to buy my tonewood from Maurice Bouette at the Newark school. I never met him but used to receive charming hand written letters discussing my requirements. Some years (decades really!) ago I was buying some supplies at Timberline. They reckoned that many modern bows were made from Beefwood (Mimusops Huberi) and sold me two baulks of the stuff for a very reasonable price compared with Pernambuco. It's a bit denser than Pernambuco and a bit darker but produces a nice shiny finish with wet'n'dry.

Nice to have you aboard,

Rod

[Mike DonnerstagParticipant @mikedonnerstag]

Neil: I wondered who that guitarist was and had to ask my muso friend – of course it's Rory Gallagher.

Roderick: That's really interesting that you've made bows. I'm in touch with John Stagg, who recently retired from bowmaking due to ill health, but has never made baroque bows. Your bow looks really good. I have never even heard of Beefwood, but will do some research. I wonder whether it's anything like ironwood?

I would really be interested in your view of a stick drilling jig based on an ML7 hollow tailstock. The thread is here: https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=143487

Many thanks,

Mike

[mark smith 20Participant @marksmith20]

Posted by Roderick Jenkins on 15/07/2019 15:56:33:

Hi Mike,

I've been away from the internet in Mull for the last week or so and have come late to the discussion. I've made a few "historical " bows in the past to go with the Viols and Baroque style violins and violas that I had a go at making. These bows were rather less sophisticated than the modern Tourte bow with a simpler frog and a positive camber caused by the hair tension which, in the case of the viol bows, is adjusted while playing using the fingers in an underhand grip. Although Snakewood seemed to be the go to wood for earlier bows I could never justify the expense – this bow was made from Partridgewood.

I used to buy my tonewood from Maurice Bouette at the Newark school. I never met him but used to receive charming hand written letters discussing my requirements. Some years (decades really!) ago I was buying some supplies at Timberline. They reckoned that many modern bows were made from Beefwood (Mimusops Huberi) and sold me two baulks of the stuff for a very reasonable price compared with Pernambuco. It's a bit denser than Pernambuco and a bit darker but produces a nice shiny finish with wet'n'dry.

Nice to have you aboard,

Rod

Rod you have your beef and bullets mixed up, Your refering to Bulletwood also collectively known as abeille ,manilkara or massaranduba.

[Wout Moerman 1Participant @woutmoerman1]

I have rehaired a few bows and recambered one using dry heat. I almost bought a good quality carbon bow once and had it on loan for a few weeks. Played really nice but I bought the other one I had to try out. A pernambuco from a local maker. Bows really make a difference in how my bass sounds!

I play German style and for some reason these are usually made with plain mother of pearl instead of abelone. A real pity as I love the look of French bows.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Mike,

I drilled the hole for the screw on my bows by poking the stick down the headstock and rotating it held in a self-centering 4 jaw chuck. However, my bows didn't have a camber. At what stage do you bend your sticks?

Mark,

I see that Mimusops seems to more generally known by the name of Manikara these days. It was definitely sold to me as Beefwood and I see that one of the common names for the Manikara Huberi is the Cow Tree so it would not seem unreasonable that it produces Beefwood – such is the timber trade. You can only really go by the botanical name if you want to accurately know what you are buying – even if they do keep changing those

Cheers,

Rod

[mark smith 20Participant @marksmith20]

Posted by Roderick Jenkins on 15/07/2019 22:11:30:

Mike,

I drilled the hole for the screw on my bows by poking the stick down the headstock and rotating it held in a self-centering 4 jaw chuck. However, my bows didn't have a camber. At what stage do you bend your sticks?

Mark,

I see that Mimusops seems to more generally known by the name of Manikara these days. It was definitely sold to me as Beefwood and I see that one of the common names for the Manikara Huberi is the Cow Tree so it would not seem unreasonable that it produces Beefwood – such is the timber trade. You can only really go by the botanical name if you want to accurately know what you are buying – even if they do keep changing those

Cheers,

Rod

Beefwood is an Australian timber a bit like lacewood. Probably the person Robert Smith at timberline ?? -was confused as well.

It (Manilkara) is known as Abeille as i mentioned above ,its french word for bee and often known as bee-wood as well in English. There was 100`s of thousand ,if not millions , of bows made from the stuff of varying qualities.

Another interesting thing is that the latex rubber from these trees was used in golf balls. Called `Gutta Balata` (Balata being another name for this wood.)

Edited By mark smith 20 on 16/07/2019 00:12:21

[Mike DonnerstagParticipant @mikedonnerstag]

I wondered whether anyone in the Lincoln area might be going to Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition at the Warwickshire Event centres this weekend and perhaps fancied doing a car share?

[OldMetallerParticipant @oldmetaller]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 15/07/2019 01:42:38:

Posted by Mike Donnerstag on 14/07/2019 11:13:00:

mark smith 20: Very true, though it could really be made from something more hardwearing for practical purposes. I see a lot of old bows with lovely figured pearl slides that have been almost eaten through from the acidic sweat of the player's fingers.

The effect of acidic sweat on instruments can be dramatic!

He could certainly sweat that man- I remember seeing him in the mid '70's from what later became known as the mosh pit- every time he moved his head we got showered in it!

John.

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