Making your own cargo bows

[dcwilkie]

After the ice storm cave-in on Tinkerbell, I decided to rebuild my bows. The uprights are no problem. The curved bows seemed daunting until I remembered laminating some curved pieces for my Bellanca fuel tank covers.

All you need is some really good waterproof glue like Elmer's woodworking glue or slow-cure epoxy, some thin strips of plywood (1/16 inch is best)
1)Cut five equal strips the same length as the bow or whatever it takes to make the correct thickness.
2) Wrap a good bow with wax paper and tape in place
3) Using the good bow as a form, lay up the strips on top of each other and clamp in place onto the form. Use LOTS of those spring clamps you can get at Home Depot, Lowe's or wherever. Maybe use broken pieces of the old bow to spread out the clamping pressure?
4) When it looks good and alot of the glue comes squirting out, leave it alone and let it dry.
5) Once dry, sand it down to remove excess glue, round the edges and drill the bolt holes. Paint/ seal. Bolt together. Install.

I think this would certainly be an improvement over the stock wood bows. Maybe not a good a fiberglass, but I bet they won't be as heavy.
If you use one layer of Mahogany plywood on the bottom, they would be right pretty too!

p.s. Anyone have two corner pieces they want to part with?

 

[jfnemt1ff1]

Thats funny I was just thinking about how to do this last week.
John

 

[JCKnife]

You need a couple metal corners? Shoot me your address, they'll be in the mail.

 

[dcwilkie]

You need a couple metal corners? Shoot me your address, they'll be in the mail.

OK, I'll PM you.

 

[m16ty]

I saw a show a few years back where they were building wooden boats. They were taking solid wood and and bending it into shape. The best I remember they had a pipe that they stuck the wood it. The pipe had steam in it. They gave the wood a good steam soak and pulled it out and put it in a jig that created the desired shape. After the wood cooled it retained that shape.

I don't remember all the details but it looks like this process would work for making solid wood bows.

 

[gringeltaube]

.......................
All you need is some really good waterproof glue like Elmer's woodworking glue or slow-cure epoxy, some thin strips of plywood (1/16 inch is best)

Instead of using plywood I have done this with Eucaliptus ("Eucaliptus-Grandis", most common wood here, very resistant long fibers, lightweight): 5 strips cut from a solid beam, each 3/16" thick, 2 3/8" wide, 6'4" long, glued together with industrial grade PU adhesive.

G.

 

[Bighurt]

Why not just make metal, replacements?

I would use a steam box for wood...but on a duece there is no real aesthetic reason to use hardwood...

 

[Westex]

How 'bout some band steel here? Flexible for the radius of the arc needed for a bow. Just food for thought. Have to get it thin enough.

 

[Keith_J]

I saw a show a few years back where they were building wooden boats. They were taking solid wood and and bending it into shape. The best I remember they had a pipe that they stuck the wood it. The pipe had steam in it. They gave the wood a good steam soak and pulled it out and put it in a jig that created the desired shape. After the wood cooled it retained that shape.

I don't remember all the details but it looks like this process would work for making solid wood bows.

TexAndy and I did that last month. You need to make a jig with a bit more curvature.

For steam, you need a whistle kettle and some heat resistant tube. Use large diameter PVC (DVW) and support it well, it has nil strength at the boiling point. Use a screw cleanout plug on one end, leave it loose so the condensate can drain.

It will take 30 minutes to get to temperature once the steam is being generated, then another 30 minutes to soak and get the wood hot.

 

[CARNAC]

How about just buying a set? I know there is no fun in that but at $20 per individual bow with uprights, I don[t know if it's worth the time, effort, and expense to make your own. Just my 2 cents.

 

[jimm1009]

Along these lines does anyone have a brand new bow that they could measure and perhaps post the dimensions on?
The width and thickness is easy but the actual overall width as bent and the total height of the arc would help for duplication.

jimm1009

 

[dcwilkie]

The original thought

How about just buying a set? I know there is no fun in that but at $20 per individual bow with uprights, I don[t know if it's worth the time, effort, and expense to make your own. Just my 2 cents.

I was going this route because I couldn't find any- wood or fiberglass!
Do you have a source because quite frankly, I'd just as soon buy them (not real fond of sanding).

 

[JCKnife]

Along these lines does anyone have a brand new bow that they could measure and perhaps post the dimensions on?
The width and thickness is easy but the actual overall width as bent and the total height of the arc would help for duplication.

jimm1009

There was a thread just a month or so ago that had this...hang on...

here it is: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/46011-m35-bows-dimension.html

 

[jasonjc]

Try here for bows and troop seats.
Stephan Wood Products truck and trailer parts aftermarket accessories

 

[CARNAC]

I was going this route because I couldn't find any- wood or fiberglass!
Do you have a source because quite frankly, I'd just as soon buy them (not real fond of sanding).

PM sent.

 

[frodobaggins]

Why not just use pressure treated pine ? It will bend into shape without any special treatment.

 

[HAWKMAN]

I could use a couple of the metal corner pieces if anyones got a few they can part with. PM me if you got'em