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Sure, you can use a thin, flexible offcut of wood to make a drawing bow – and I’ve done that a number of times (sometimes pinning it in place with nails so I don’t need three hands to draw a curve).
But a piece of wood doesn’t always bend symmetrically. So when I built a Krenov-inspired live-edge hanging cabinet for which I needed perfectly matching curves on the doors and the backboards, I broke down and bought a Symmetric Drawing Bow from Lee Valley (the company also offers an asymmetric version).
Now it’s my go-to solution for drawing large curves. I can set the curve with the strap and keep the arc as long as a I need it. Once I’m done, I simply release the strap and it returns to flat for easy storage.
P.S. Here’s the front of the cabinet I mentioned (it’s in the November 2014 issue). Said “hanging cabinet” is currently in use as an end table in my living room;. I stuck some felt pads on the posts to lift it off the floor a little, and to keep from scratching the floor. Some day, perhaps I’ll finish all the carpentry, trim carpentry, plaster repair etc. and have a suitable wall on which to hang it. Or I’ll just add some pulls to the door and keep using it as an end table.
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