I posted a little update about this bow earlier this year. I finally had the time to finish it:
Stats:
Tip to tip length-just under 60”
Widest point-1-7/16”
Mass-18.9oz
Draw weight-~55#
Draw length-29” from belly of handle
Holds 3” of reflex after resting,
2” immediately after unstringing
Finished with Polyurethane and paste wax
Two Osage billets, with boiled in recurves, were glued together into about 4” of deflex. A piece of white oak was shaped to fit in the handle, and another layer of osage was glued on top of that. The belly was heat treated to a deep golden-brown color and the bow was reflexed. More reflex was pulled in with the addition of sinew on the back. In total it was probably just over 4” of reflex after drying.
Pads were glued to the base of the recurve to help with string tracking. They are probably not totally necessary, but I also enjoy the look of them. They are 3 layers of latigo leather, saturated in super glue and pressed together. This hardened the leather and made it easy to shape with carving knives, files and sandpaper.
Nearly the entire bow was covered with black fabric glued with hide glue after being tillered. On top of this, motifs were painted on with 10-60 micron bronze powder in a hide glue (unflavored gelatin) suspension. I used a 3/0 watercolor brush with natural bristles to do this.
The handle is wrapped with a piece of vegetable tanned cowhide, distressed with India ink and imprinted on the edges. It is laced with black goat-skin leather using a baseball stitch.
Unstrung:
Strung:
Handle:
Recurve Back:
Recurve Belly
Recurve Side:
Back:
Full Draw:
Me with bow:
