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Author Topic: When to "recurve"  (Read 4136 times)

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Offline Okie

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    • Bear Creek Selfbows
When to "recurve"
« on: December 14, 2008, 10:06:49 pm »
OK, I've got another Osage in the works and it is 62" n2n and 1-1/2" wide at the fades, up 12" then tapering to 3/8" nocks. It is only tillered out to 55#@18" right now. Is now the time to recurve the limbs or should I have done it before now or tiller it more before I do it. I am planning on steaming in the curves. Also this is a flat bow. I understand that tillering a recurve is much more of a challenge , but ya gotta start sometime... right?

John
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<---------<<<Founding Member Oklahoma Selfbow Society>>>-----------> Vice President OSS

Offline Mattco

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Re: When to "recurve"
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2008, 10:33:42 pm »
I usually recurve before taking the limbs down to final taper. Since the tips are already 3/8" you must be careful not to introduce any twist in the recurve. I've had good success using dry heat on limbs coated with Crisco to set the recurve. Before stringing make sure that the string still tracks down the center of the handle. Good luck
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Offline dismount

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Re: When to "recurve"
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2008, 10:39:15 pm »
Okie, Everybody seems to have their own way, so mine is as soon as I get the limbs even tillered and thin enough, I put the curves in. For me waiting till the limbs are thinner, it doesn't take as long. Also I leave the tips abit wide till I done, just in case I need to move the tips. IF you are anything like me, I usually have to go back with the heat gun and realign the tips to put the string back in the center after recurving. I love the heat gun and olive oil, osage turns into putty, and pretty quick too!  There will be some minor tillering to do but hey looking at some of your bows I don't think you will have much trouble. ( it is a pain though!)  more experinced bowyers probably have a better way, but thats how I do it. :)   Phil
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Offline Pat B

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Re: When to "recurve"
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2008, 12:04:39 am »
Like Dismount I like olive oil(any oil will work) and a heat gun. I usually bend when I get the limbs to floor tiller stage and I leave the limb tips wide. After bending the tips can be adjusted by removing wood from one side or the other but I usually have to re-heat and adjust that way too.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Gordon

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Re: When to "recurve"
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2008, 12:15:00 am »
You should be able to recurve the bow now, but I would use a heat gun rather than steam at this point - it will hold the curves better than if you steam.
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Gordon

Offline Okie

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Re: When to "recurve"
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2008, 09:08:59 am »
Thanks for the help guys. I'll use the heat gun and next time I'll leave the tips wider till I get her bent.


John
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Take a kid huntin' (If not who'll drag your deer out when you get old)
<---------<<<Founding Member Oklahoma Selfbow Society>>>-----------> Vice President OSS

Offline 1/2primitive

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Re: When to "recurve"
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2008, 06:43:02 pm »
I usually fully tiller the bow out, then recurve afterwards.
    Sean
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Dallas/Fort Worth Tx.

Offline mitchman

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Re: When to "recurve"
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2008, 08:15:03 pm »
no life :-\
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