Every so often, (as in this morning's inbox and a few weeks ago in my Plano, TX class!), I will receive an email or field a student's question regarding carving a symbol, design, etc into their newly built bow.
The following is my typical response:
Carving into the belly wood on bows that are designed to bend through the handle means you are accepting the risk of damaging the integrity of the wood's fibers.
Altered wood fibers (by carving, wood burning, etc.) on the belly are more apt to collapse or sheer when the bow is drawn
and the wood compressed. Likewise, cutting through the bamboo backing's lineal fibers is almost certainly going to reek havoc as the fibers are being stretched when the bow is strung or drawn.
Generally speaking, carvings appear on the big, non-working risers of flat, thin-limbed glass bows. Often times these carvings are located on the sides rather than the bellies or backs of bows.
The paint on a completely painted bow will eventually crack, chip and flake off in the working areas of both limbs- belly & back.
However designs, signatures, logos, etc. will remain intact when properly sealed with a flexible protective top coat system.
What is a guy or gal to do?
A safer approach is to draw, trace or stencil your design onto your bow using TransTint dyes, paint pens or sharpie markers.
I use these dyes regularly in this manner and have been fortunate enough to teach my Finishing Class students do the same. They come up with some very individual, personalized and creative works of art by using these materials and techniques.
When mixed with mediums of denatured alcohol, oil or water, TransTint dyes are extremely forgiving making them easy and fun to work with. Your imagination is your only restriction!
The following is my typical response:
Carving into the belly wood on bows that are designed to bend through the handle means you are accepting the risk of damaging the integrity of the wood's fibers.
Altered wood fibers (by carving, wood burning, etc.) on the belly are more apt to collapse or sheer when the bow is drawn
and the wood compressed. Likewise, cutting through the bamboo backing's lineal fibers is almost certainly going to reek havoc as the fibers are being stretched when the bow is strung or drawn.
Generally speaking, carvings appear on the big, non-working risers of flat, thin-limbed glass bows. Often times these carvings are located on the sides rather than the bellies or backs of bows.
The paint on a completely painted bow will eventually crack, chip and flake off in the working areas of both limbs- belly & back.
However designs, signatures, logos, etc. will remain intact when properly sealed with a flexible protective top coat system.
What is a guy or gal to do?
A safer approach is to draw, trace or stencil your design onto your bow using TransTint dyes, paint pens or sharpie markers.
I use these dyes regularly in this manner and have been fortunate enough to teach my Finishing Class students do the same. They come up with some very individual, personalized and creative works of art by using these materials and techniques.
When mixed with mediums of denatured alcohol, oil or water, TransTint dyes are extremely forgiving making them easy and fun to work with. Your imagination is your only restriction!
