First recurve - Dangit! Chrysals!

[Weylin]

Making strings is a cinch. I recommend learning how to do a flemish loop and making your own out of fastflight. I got a 1/4# spool online for about $25 but I'll be able to make a bajillion strings from it. check out poorfolkbows.com for a tutorial on how to make a jig and a string. He explains it really well. You'll save a ton of money making your own strings.

[Cloudfeather]

Making strings is a cinch. I recommend learning how to do a flemish loop and making your own out of fastflight. I got a 1/4# spool online for about $25 but I'll be able to make a bajillion strings from it. check out poorfolkbows.com for a tutorial on how to make a jig and a string. He explains it really well. You'll save a ton of money making your own strings.

Plus, it's really fun to mix and match colors and try different combos. One of my favorite parts of making the bow is twisting a string.

[Matt Heppe]

Dangit! Chrysals!

The red oak just couldn't take the pressure. I'm going to save the siyahs and use them on my next bow. I was still in the breaking-in phase and hadn't finished the bow, so am not too upset at the development. The whole purpose behind this bow was to try out siyahs and to do a lamination. Both were successful. I just made a bad wood selection and misjudged the tillering due to the unexpectedly high initial load of a recurve.

I am going to do another bow with siyahs. I am thinking of going non-laminated and using hickory.

Is there a North American hardwood that handles compression well? Something I could have paired up with hickory? I chose hickory backing because I knew the bow was going to have a pretty big bend to it.

[JW_Halverson]

How about hickory backed osage with hickory siyas?  Make the handle bend a scoosh (nice technical term, eh?) and otherwise match the last design fairly closely. 

[Del the cat]

Shame about the chrysals... I hate thos suckers .
Still its all part of the game when trying to push wood to the limit.
Del

[DarkSoul]

Is there a North American hardwood that handles compression well? Something I could have paired up with hickory? I chose hickory backing because I knew the bow was going to have a pretty big bend to it.

That is a good way of thinking, but not only must the backing be able to take the bend, the belly must also be able to withstand the compression. Red oak is pretty poor in compression, so the powerful hickory is likely to overpower the belly with such a sharp bend.
You could have trapped the back, making it about 2/3 the width of the red oak belly. That would have helped a lot. A longer bow length is also a good method, but that is probably not what you wanted.

Hickory on its own would have been great for a design such as this one. It might have gotten some set, (but no chrysals) which could have been avoided by - again - trapping the back.
Elm would have been good as well (no hickory needed on the back). And of course hickory backed osage or maybe even hickory backed hornbeam.

[bubby]

if your gonna try a selfbow go with hickory or white oak, both will take the bend, Bub

[Matt Heppe]

You know you're an addict when it is going to drive you nuts all day long that the sawmill is closed on Fridays. I can see the hickory and elm on their shelves. I'm dying to ask Mr. Spacht if he's cut any Osage.

My name is Matt Heppe, and I am an addict. 

[Pappy]

  to bad about the chrysals.   It was looking good.
   Pappy

[lesken2011]

Matt, you might be able to save it with some belly lams like I did here...
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,34403.msg455218.html#msg455218

[Matt Heppe]

I came up with a solution and the bow will come back from the dead better than before. Pics coming soon....

[PatM]

  I have made a number of Elm and HHB bows of this design with no chrysals and a long draw.
 While you can just make it in recurve form there is just something about the angled glued in siyahs that "make" the design.
   The best option is really a wider shorter limb and a longer lower angled siyah. 35 degrees is best. Basically a pumped up mollie.

[George Tsoukalas]

You didn't say where the chrysals are or I missed it. My guess is they are spread out over the entire limb? Both sides? That indicates a design flaw. Just a guess but it is too short. Drawing it any further may be dire. Jawge

[Matt Heppe]

George,

The chrysals were all on the left limb where several people spotted a flat spot and a two potential hinges.

I won't use a chrysaled bow. Too much risk, I think.

[PatM]

A chrysaled limb that is corrected  is actually less likely to break if the back of the limb is sound and tension strong. The belly wood is "getting out of the way" so the back has less pressure on it.