I make my own drawing bows using mason’s line and a thin strip of hardwood, slotted on its ends for the string. The traditional method is to then tie knots in the string, which catch in the slots and keep the bow curved. Sometimes it seemed that no matter how many knots I tied, none yielded the exact curve I wanted, especially when working to a specific dimension.

I solved the problem by adding a turnbuckle to the string. Now the knots in the end of the line set the rough position, and the turnbuckle fine-tunes the arch to the perfect size. A small turnbuckle is available at any local hardwood store. Choose mason’s line instead of twine because a single knot catches nicely in the kerf of a bandsaw blade. I have 24-in. and 48-in. bows, made from straight grained hardwood, which work for most of the curves I use in my work.

Willie Sandry, Camas, Wash.

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