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Author Topic: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow  (Read 295579 times)

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Offline Gordon

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #15 on: February 11, 2012, 11:01:49 pm »
I rough out the bow’s thickness taper with a hatchet using the taper lines as my guide.



Here is the bow after the thickness taper has been roughed out.



Next I will use a draw knife and spoke shave to create taper lines.



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Gordon

Offline Gordon

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #16 on: February 11, 2012, 11:04:56 pm »
The bow is now roughed out. I will now begin to floor tiller the bow so that the limbs will be thin enough to bend into recurves.  I start by running my fingers along the length of each limb looking for thick spots. I use a spoke shave and micro-plane to even the taper and start taking it down.





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Gordon

Offline Gordon

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #17 on: February 11, 2012, 11:07:30 pm »
I keep removing wood and checking the bend and thickness until the limbs will bend enough to allow me to bend in the  recurves.



Once I get the limbs bending a bit, I use a setup I learned from this site for examining the bow’s tiller. I like this block setup more than using a long string because it better approximates the bend that you would see with a short string.  You can use a clamp to stand back and look at the bend, or I will push down on the handle with my hand and watch how the limbs bend in response.


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Gordon

Offline Gordon

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #18 on: February 11, 2012, 11:10:12 pm »
Between wood removals I am checking for high and low spots. I mark them and take extra wood off from the high spots and less wood from the low spots.  As the limbs start to come around, I use my scraper tools so that I have very fine control over the wood removal.





The bowyer’s edge is particularly good for localized wood removal. I use the card scraper for even wood removal along the length of the limbs.

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Gordon

Offline Gordon

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #19 on: February 11, 2012, 11:12:22 pm »
The stave was not straight so the limbs are somewhat out of alignment. I will now use steam heat to get the limb tips to align with the center of the handle.  Later when I have a short string on the bow, I will use dry heat on the limbs for making small adjustments to the string alignment. I start by steaming the handle area for about 45 minutes.



After the handle is good and pliable, I quickly transfer the bow to a press and bend the handle so the tips move in the desired direction.  You have to move the tips an extra amount because they will spring back about 1/3 of the way when you release the bow from the press.



Next up – bending in recurves.
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Gordon

Offline lesken2011

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #20 on: February 11, 2012, 11:29:26 pm »
Keep em coming, Gordon, this is great....I just put on some popcorn.
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For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

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Kenny from Mississippi, USA

Offline Weylin

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #21 on: February 11, 2012, 11:50:20 pm »
Definitely looking on with interest. I've been thinking about attempting one of these with a yew stave I have. I'm sure this will be an invaluable resource for me. You make it looks so easy, Gordon...
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Offline Gordon

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #22 on: February 12, 2012, 12:50:31 am »
Lesken, I'll be putting in the recurves tomorrow so I won't have anything new to post for a few days.

Thanks Weylin, but I'm not sure there is anything here that you don't already know. I'm hoping some of the new folks to our group might get something out of this.
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Gordon

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #23 on: February 12, 2012, 01:01:56 am »
Quote from: Gordon on February 12, 2012, 12:50:31 am
Lesken, I'll be putting in the recurves tomorrow so I won't have anything new to post for a few days.

Thanks Weylin, but I'm not sure there is anything here that you don't already know. I'm hoping some of the new folks to our group might get something out of this.

I'm getting somethin out of it. I recently did my first true contact recurve, so I am eating this up... One thing I would like to know, is how do yall make the string groove part the string rests on the recurve, a rattail file? Do you make like a Y that meets in the middle?
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"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline Pat B

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #24 on: February 12, 2012, 01:04:19 am »
Excellent build along, Gordon. Thanks for posting it.   Glad to see you back.  ;)
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline bcbull

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #25 on: February 12, 2012, 01:19:03 am »
nice buid along gordon good info here brock
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Offline tenbrook

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #26 on: February 12, 2012, 01:38:31 am »
Awesome!!!

Thanks a bunch for doing this.  I know its a ton of extra work.  Much appreciated! ;)
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White man makes big fire, sits far away."
 
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Offline Elktracker

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #27 on: February 12, 2012, 01:52:23 am »
Man Gordon your Hazelnut buid has always been a thread I look back on and this is AWSOME!!!!! I VOTE THIS IS STUCK IN THE ARCHIVES! so its easier for me to find ;D Look forward to more thanks allot for doing this its allot of work and you really go into great detail! I want one of those Stave Masters! Thanks again!!!

Josh
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my friends think my shops a mess, my wife thinks I have too much bow wood, my neighbors think im redneck white trash and they may all be right on the money!!

Josh Vance  Netarts OR. (Tillamook)

Offline Gus

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #28 on: February 12, 2012, 01:58:39 am »
Yes Sir Gordon!

Love your build alongs.
Learn something new from each one. :)

-gus
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"I taught him archery everyday, and when he got good at it he throw an arrow at me."

Conroe, TX

Offline Will H

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Re: Winter project - Yew Recurve bow
« Reply #29 on: February 12, 2012, 02:21:31 am »
I agree Gordon! I LOVE your buildalongs! Thank you for posting. I cant wait to see more  :) :) :)
~Will
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