Thanks Ryan

[Ryano]

Tom, thats almost a exact copy of the form I use for my working curves, like the one that won bow of the month in jan. It will lose quite a bit of that reflex..

[Badger]

One thing that might help you on that, I did several a few years ago, but the string will approach different angles to that recurve as it unfolds, When you first start to draw it there wont be much pressure, but as different parts of the limbs approach 90 degrees that potion of the limb will suddenly have a lot more pressure, you almost have to tiller each section at it's close to 90 degree position, or just pull on the tip by hand and get your self a little bend going that way before you actually string it. Curious to see how it comes out, they are very challenging. Steve

[mullet]

  Nice curves!Can't wait to see it finished.Your steaming contraption is a neat set up,I think I'm going to copy it if you don't mind?

[Marc St Louis]

That one will give you fits, trust me

[Ryano]

It can be done. It will look something like this when your done.

[Ryano]

This what the static should look like.

[Ryano]

Finished full draw static recurve

Finished full draw working recurve

[GregB]

Not trying to rob Pappy's string here...we're in on this together. All these bows had been roughed in for a good while, not with the intention of making recurves from them. Basically they were all spliced in the handle osage billets where I had been practicing handle splicing. I decided to give them away to friends in the club, so we all could attempt making recurves from them. This is new to us, so I thought it would be a good way to get us trying out something new. Also with Ryan coming to the Classic, it should be a great opportunity for us to learn from a master!

I recalled Ryan mentioning that he left his handle shaping for last, but we already had these bows to work with. If we have trouble with some of them, I'm sure we'll learn from it...always more wood.

We appreciate any suggestions any of you can give us. Mostly worried about getting the bows to brace. After that we can get them on the tillering tree and should be at least more in a comfort zone for us. They were floor tillered when we steamed them. Not used to Ryans method of putting the handle in the vise and pulling on the tip. By only being able to see one limb bending at a time, looks like it could be some problems balancing the limbs without having done it before? Guess that's how you learn though...dive in!

[GregB]

Ryan, you posted those pics while I was writing my book on the last post. Great looking bows, certainly hope we can do the same. We jumped the easy hurtle of steaming them, I think the tillering is going to be much more difficult. Also these bows are starting their taper to the tips at mid limb. If I was making one from scratch with the highest hopes of success, I probably would have left the limbs wide closer to the tips to cut back on potential propellar. I bet these bows really have to have the limbs lined up well and without propellar with the stress on them. I remember you had said you tweak the limbs sometimes with dry heat as needed.

[Ryano]

Yep Greg, some times two or three times before I get the string to stay on....Getting them to brace isnt so hard, the vise is the best method Ive found so far. Take thickness measurements from side to sid if you need to to keep them close to balanced. I just tiller enough to get it bending fairly even after recurving, then I switch to the long string and tillering rack. If it seems fairly balanced then I get a string on it asap, corect the string alignment if need be and then tiller with the short string.

[Pappy]

Sounds easy enough.Ha!!! .Ryan I had thought about getting one braced first ,then recurve it,That is the way I do mine with the tip turned up and it makes it much easier to get to first brace,Just asking,what do you think about that. ?
   Pappy

[GregB]

All these bows have been on forms at least once for straightening and reflexing. Hopefully there won't be a lot of tweaking required, but I'm sure there will be some. I had 8 bows that we're planning to recurve and work on. I would think that the static recurve might be slightly easier to tiller, but don't know for sure. Anyone have a preference between working recurve and static recurve in regards to performance?

Badger, I think you were referring to starting the tiller on the outer limbs and working your way in prior to getting on the tillering tree?

Any problem with a 55-60 lb. osage recurve holding up long term?

Have you any suggestions on how best to know when you're ready for the tillering tree from a poundage standpoint? I'm afraid it would be very easy to be fooled into thinking you had more weight then you do if you stay on the vise to long. What best way to judge that?

[Badger]

Greg, on a working recurve like that when the string is at lower angles to different parts of the string it has to be much stiffer because as soon as the limb starts to open up the angle will change drasticly and could cause the limb to break at that point. The closer your string is to 90 degrees in relation to any point of the limb thats the point the stress ill be highest at that point in the limb, on a straight bow the angle is a straight line progression and can easily be judged, on a working recurve you kind of have to feel your way through it staying aware of the string angle to the area in your curve that you are concerned with bending. Steve

[Ryano]

I never tried it that way pappy, it might help some but I don't know how much. You definitely don't want to try that with a static curve. I like to get the limbs bending even down to the base of the curve at brace and then tiller the outer limbs to just slightly open up at full draw. I know it seems hard but its really not that bad. Greg, yes a static is a bit easier to tiller, and keep the string aligned
 

Greg, on a working recurve like that when the string is at lower angles to different parts of the string it has to be much stiffer because as soon as the limb starts to open up the angle will change drasticly and could cause the limb to break at that point. The closer your string is to 90 degrees in relation to any point of the limb thats the point the stress ill be highest at that point in the limb, on a straight bow the angle is a straight line progression and can easily be judged, on a working recurve you kind of have to feel your way through it staying aware of the string angle to the area in your curve that you are concerned with bending. Steve

Steve, your right about the feel your way through it.....all that technical crap just makes it sound way harder than it really is....Some times it requires less thought and more action....lol..

[duffontap]

Pappy,

Those tips are only 18" in front of the handle.  Are you sure it will perform?     Wow!

           J. D. Duff