Posted by Chet Bishop on Thursday, September 11, 2014
An 'archetier" is someone who makes instrument bows. Of course, some people just call them “bowmakers”. (This is, of course, not to be confused with a bowyer: Those guys make bows for archers.) An archetier (yes, yes… bowmaker!) is someone who makes bows for instrument players– violins, violas, cellos, basses, and so forth.
Violinmakers are seldom bowmakers, and vice versa. The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, it is just that they are definitely two complimentary but very different skills. Few people actively pursue both.
However, Paul Schuback, who is an extraordinarily fine violinmaker, was also trained in bowmaking during his apprenticeship in France. There he met a young woman, Lynn Hannings, who was training as a bowmaker. She followed on in that discipline and became a well-known professional bowmaker, and Paul went on to be a famous violinmaker (luthier).
Both have been my teachers, though briefly, and I have long desired to try to learn bowmaking as well as violin-making. I had taken Lynn’s class once, in California, just to learn to correctly re-hair a bow; but as I watched her other students building bows from scratch, I found myself wanting more and more to try my hand at that discipline.
So…you guessed it! I am trying to build a bow. I decided to try a bass-bow, simply because I think they are likely a little more forgiving in terms of exactitude (not much, but a little), and because they are bigger, thicker, and probably easier for me to handle. (I could be wrong….)
For anyone with similar interest, here is a link to a priceless list of resources.
By far, the most ideal wood for violin-bows is Pernambuco, from the Amazon rain-forest in Brazil. But…that wood is now an endangered species, and illegal to cut or ship, so it will be harder and harder to acquire. There are tons of it already cut and dry, but it is difficult to get. Other woods include Brazilwood, Snakewood (also called “Amourette”), Ipé, and Bloodwood.
I am told that they are experimenting with farming Pernambuco in Brazil, planting the Pernambuco seedlings interspersed with the rubber trees on rubber plantations; but we won’t know for some time how that will work out. So, in the meanwhile: I can experiment with domestic woods, such as Osage Orange and Hickory and learn the hand/eye skills, then try some lesser tropical hardwoods, such as Ipé and Bloodwood. If I like it, and the bows turn out well (probably requiring a second (and third, etc.) “bout” with Lynn Hannings), then I may buy some pernambuco blanks and try some “real” bows. But Pernambuco is selling for around $200 per stick, now, so this is not for the faint of heart!
I ordered some Osage Orange, which is commonly used for archery bows (and sometimes double-bass bows), and while waiting for it to arrive, decided to experiment with hickory (also sometimes used, though not usually considered optimal). This time, however, I happened to have a select piece of straight, clear, vertical-grain hickory, about 20+ years old (OK, OK… it was a broken-off splitting-maul handle…but still: it was everything I just described), so it seemed a good way to get started.
I began by “cutting away everything that didn’t look like a bass-bow”, and tapering it as I thought it should be. I heated it with a heat-gun, and cambered it (bent it to the correct arch). Then I drilled the screw-way and carved the eyelet mortise.
Still rough, but this is the general shape of the bow-head. Still have to cut the mortise and attach the metal tip, etc.
The bow-stick is cambered by heating it all the way through, and then bending it in my gloved hands. It has to be really hot all the way through to bend easily, without breaking.
The mortise is to allow the frog eyelet to travel smoothly back and forth as the player tightenes or loosens the hair. The Screw-ways is the channel through which the screw passes, to reach the eyelet.
Then I began a frog: I bought some African Blackwood remnants from a local hardwood dealer, and carved one into a bass-bow frog–still very rough-looking, but I am not done with it yet. I kept looking at a good frog someone gave me, to see what needed to be done next. There is still quite a long way to go, but I am waiting on some parts I ordered.
This is the interior of a very roughly carved bass-bow frog, made of African Blackwood–similar to Ebony, but heavier and harder, I think.
Side view of same frog…still a long way to go.
Underside of the same frog. I intend to line it with stainless steel, since I haven’t any Nickel or Silver. (Should wear well!)
I ordered some gold MOP (mother of pearl) from a local supplier, and hair, screw and eyelet from a more distant supplier. (Here is a photo of how it looks so far:
The pearl slide will be cut from the blank stock. On a whim, I decided to inlay gold stars on the sides of the frog. The dot will go in the end of the bow-button.
(The hair and screw and eyelet were all ordered from the same distant supply place, and have not yet arrived.) I chose stainless steel for the ferrule and underslide, because it was readily available. (I went to a resale shop and bought some pieces of cheap stainless steel flatware in the thicknesses I needed…total outlay: $3, for enough metal to build several bows.)
How did it turn out? Not done yet. Tune in later for a progress report!
9 comments on “What is an Archetier?”
robinja Says:
Thursday, September 11, 2014 @10:39:07 AM
Wow! I am impressed - please keep us updated!
Chet Bishop Says:
Thursday, September 11, 2014 @10:56:12 AM
Will do! I am hoping the rest of the parts will arrive soon.
Chet Bishop Says:
Friday, September 12, 2014 @6:22:11 AM
So...for those still interested:
The remaining parts arrived about dark last night, so, no more excuses: now I have to get building.
I tried the eyelet in the eyelet mortise, and it was a tad too tight, so I will work it out to a perfect sliding fit using a small flat file.
I tried the screw in the screw-ways, and it fits well, but the hole is too shallow. I had been afraid that was the case, as I only had a fairly short drill-bit-- so I will make a longer spade bit, the way Lynn Hannings showed her students, and deepen the hole by about 13mm or so.
I found a tool at Harbor freight that was intended for cutting out spot welds...like a tiny hole-saw; it worked perfectly for cutting the nipple on the back of the stick (a small raised "doughnut" around the screw-hole, that fits inside the button. I suppose it keeps things centered...not sure of the purpose,)
Two stainless steel nuts (hex-head) have been drilled out, and I will grind off the six points and flats to make them round and the correct outside diameter, then grind the new flats for an octagon shape, and neck-down a section of the same hickory stick from which I made the bow, to be the core of the three-piece button.
I'll insert the screw from one end of the button, leaving a pocket into which the nipple will fit, and insert a gold MOP dot in the other end. Then I will be ready to work on finishing the frog and bow tip. After that, I can hair the bow, and start checking the final camber, etc. And, if I follow my usual pattern, I will do all this in some other order anyway...
Ah, yeah.... like I've got all this extra time... Well, no excuses: I have 168 hours/week, just like everyone else.
Press on, Chet, Press on!
Mandogryl Says:
Sunday, September 14, 2014 @4:48:24 PM
Very impressive!
Chet Bishop Says:
Sunday, September 14, 2014 @4:59:09 PM
Thanks!
We'd better wait and see the finsihed product before we say too much, though. "many a slip...", etc.
I have been busy with stuff here at home trying to get ready for winter, so I haven't touched the stick since the day I posted this. The parts did arrive, so that is no longer an issue. I will post an update in a few days, I hope.
bd Says:
Monday, October 13, 2014 @9:11:20 PM
Cool project! I learned a lot reading this. Ever thought of using persimmon for a frog? I understand its in the ebony family. But I think I just like the idea of an all american wood bow.
EricBluegrassFiddle Says:
Tuesday, October 14, 2014 @3:24:55 AM
Sweet....such artisans, craftsmenship we have here!
Chet Bishop Says:
Tuesday, October 14, 2014 @6:11:35 AM
bd;
Yes, I have heard that, too, but, as far as I am aware, I have never seen a piece of persimmon.
Erik;
I'm not sure I qualify, but thatnks.
bd Says:
Tuesday, October 14, 2014 @7:18:42 AM
I know some banjo makers are using it for example
pisgahbanjos.com/#mission
and there was a thread about it (and some other exotic wood substututes) on BHO
banjohangout.org/topic/292323/1
I haven't seen a piece of the wood either tho' but somebody must be selling it!
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