Bend-through-the-handle recurve?

[toomanyknots]

Makes sence if your recurves are 5" or more and non-working I think?

[Pat B]

That bow with a sinew backing would be a rocket launcher.
  Recurves not only reduce the amount of working limb but they over stress the remaining working limb even more. It's all give and take. Choose your poison. 

[mullet]

I did a short Hophornbeam last year. I think it was 53" and pulled almost 30", @ 50-55#, unbacked. It's in the BOM somewheres.

[Qwill]

I've got started. Recurves bent in, currently straightening/aligning the stave. I measured roughly 43, 44 inches of working limb. I also started a second one in service berry, still green. Recurves bent, but I've got some twisting.

[toomanyknots]

Makes sence if your recurves are 5" or more and non-working I think?

You know, if ya think about it though, you just can't use the same kinda ratio, sayin you need X amount of working limb for a recurve because the recurve don't work, as you would for a bow without recurves. It just don't work. Say if we had two D bows,

-one was 60" with 5" recurves, so you would say it has 50" working limbs,
-one was 50" without recurves, so you also say it has 50" working limbs,...

...but the recurve, because of the the physical aspect of the bow being longer, the working limbs would have to work less to achieve the same draw length as the working limbs of the 50" non recurve bow. Now if we were comparing two 60" bows, one with recurves, and one without, than the recurve would be more stressed. But that's not what's happening here. So, it just doesn't add up. Also, I have seen a good amount of d bows around that length. With careful tillering I would think it can easily be done. But I don't have as much experience with these bows as the other guys on here. All the short d bows I have made have been sinew backed for the most part, if not at first, than later on. You could always sinew it and be good to go? I think the west coast cali native bows are typically 36" - 40" long and with the sinew pull typically around 25" - 26"? They are wide and flat though, which will reduce set and compression damage. On the green bow, you might wanna strap it down to a board or something for about a month until it is a little drier, it will keep it from twisting as much. Maybe about a month and a half to two months after it is roughed out, and the bows should be dry enough to tiller.

[Qwill]

Yeah, it will be interesting. I've got the Vine Maple straightened and ready for tillering. I may have some tip tweaking to do. I'm shooting for mid 40# range in draw weight at 25-26 inch draw. I think it can be done, and I'm anxious to test it on a chrono. Thanks for the thoughts on recurve limbs v. straight.  What I'm curious about, is why are recurve limbs more strained? I understand they store more energy, but some of that has to be physics, not work the limb is doing right? I'm not sure I understand that part of recurves. Anyway. I'll post of pictures of this thing when I'm done.

[toomanyknots]

With two bows of the same length nock to nock, one with recurves and one without, the one with recurves will strain the working limbs more to reach the same draw length as the other one. It will also strain the limbs more just to reach the same brace height. It creates a bow with a bit more early draw weight, like if the bow was shorter, but because of the recurves you get more draw length, like if the bow was longer. 

[Qwill]

Yeah, I get that -- if you measure nock-to-nock. But wouldn't that be true for a bow with stiff outer limbs? Is the same true if you measure working limb length? would a recurve with, say 50 inches of working limb be more strained that a straight bow with 50 inches of working limb? What am I missing?

[Prarie Bowyer]

[/quote]

What is happening in this last pic?  What is the foil for?  You make those deep bends look easy!  What is that radius?

[Prarie Bowyer]

This is a bend through the handle osage recurve I built a few years back.


...and another 60" bendy handle osage static recurve...

these two.  What are these radius?  Can that be gotten in hickory?

[Qwill]

I did it! 26 in draw at about 45 pounds. I'll get photos up by the end of the week. I'm steaming the last of the bark off the back tonight, and I still have to lighten the recurve areas. I can't wait to shoot it....

[Pat B]

PB, the foil was used to hold in the heat after I bent the curve so it would cool slowly. Some times I do this with thick wood and doo it in sessions. Heat for a while, wrap in foil and let the heat sink in then go back and heat more. This helps get heat way down into the wood to help the bend take.
  I would have to measure the radius. I usually find something round, trace it and see if it fits what I want. 
  I believe the first and second pic used the same form.  I did all of these with dry heat and oil to prevent scorching. I heat the area to be curved until the weight of the bow begins to bend the wood.  The form I used for the sharp recurve has a metal strap to support the belly side of the curve as I bend the tips.

[Prarie Bowyer]

There is an elegance to those bottom two that reminds me of the wife.  A bit exotic, long, lean, graceful sexy. . . the stuff of fantasys.  They  are probably a bitch to make right?

[hedgeapple]

looking foreward to seeing this bow

[Pat B]

PB, once you get these recurves right they usually stay there. They do take a little tweeking to get the tips to line up though. 
  I'll have "Two Tips" at the Tenn. Classic in early May, hedge. She is a 60"t/t osage static recerve selfbow whit chokecherry bark backing. 55#@26".