Howdy, all. I've had a few people contact me recently asking me how I do brush nocks on static recurves. I thought I'd do a simple tutorial on what I've learned and what works for me. Below is a 64" osage recurve I'm working on that I'm adding rosewood and padauk brush nocks to.
Step 1: Prepping the Various Laminations
I cut them on a table saw, then true them up by hand on a belt sander. I find it easier to work with wider pieces to prevent rocking/cupping. As such, I'll be cutting the padauk lams down to size later.
Step 2: Tapering the Limb Tips
I taper the last 7" to make it easier to bend the recurves in. I use a belt sander to get a perfectly flat surface. The tape helps give me a reference so I don't go too far.
Step 3: Bending the Limb Tips
I use a heat gun and go SLOW. It takes about 20 minutes per tip. If you let the wood plasticize properly (slow and even heat), you'll not struggle with the belly cracking under tension. I get the last 4" good and hot, then place that tip in the jig and work my way down the limb. I use one hand to gently support the weight of the bow (which is now sticking up in the air) but let a little of its weight help pull the bow down over the form.
Step 4: Prebending the Laminations
I heat and prebend the first three laminations on the same jig. They don't hold near as much bend as the tips do, but it helps immensely. I use a scrap of particle board as a backer to keep the lams from lifting splinters.
Step 5: Applying the First Lamination
I use leather pads and small wooden blocks to help spread the clamping pressure out evenly. I use Titebond III, which requires a smooth surface for glue-up (i.e. it does NOT fill voids and gaps). This is prefect since both surfaces have been prepped with the belt sander.
