Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"

[Badger]

   I figured it will do this as a build along, my log is still pretty wet so it might take awhile to finish. I have a 1/4 log of very dense pecan wood with a fairly low crown. Bark is still on and it appears I will have one good size knot but otherwise pretty straight.

        My plan is to clean up the log and reduce it to 1 1/4" thickness. I will steam it for a couple hours and deflex the handle area, at the same time I am deflexing the handle I will add enough wood to build it back up to about 2" thick.

        Next step I will steam the limbs and form the recurves and reflexed areas hopefully similar to the Mark St Louis bows that I have not been to successful with copying in the past.

      At this point I will put in a hot box and dry for a couple of weeks.

     Out of the hot box I will get basic tiller established, heat treat and then proceed with tillering.

     Basic plan is 3 1/2" wide 3/4 the way down the limbs tapering to 1/2" tips, I will leave it wide through the curves to hopefully stableize any twisting at brace.

  Basic design is 8" stiff handle and fades, about 3" deflex going into reflex and recurves 4" behind the back of the bow, hopefull will finish with 2" set back. Tiller shape, bend will graduall increase as it approaches static recurves. Projected mass about 39 oz.

  I will start posting pics tomorrow, if the bow won't give me 135# I will just get what I can.

[Don Case]

I hope you beefed up your tillering tree

[Wooden Spring]

135 pounds??? HOLY CRAP... If you want to sling around 135 pounds, I'll send you my wife!!!

[Badger]

135 pounds??? HOLY CRAP... If you want to sling around 135 pounds, I'll send you my wife!!!

  That sounds like a deal!

[Blaflair2]

I don't even have a scale that goes that high.

[bubby]

cool, good luck badger I know some of us are going the opposite direction with the challenge

[JackCrafty]

  Watching this!

[toomanyknots]

135 pounds??? HOLY CRAP... If you want to sling around 135 pounds, I'll send you my wife!!!

I could send you 1/4 of my wife instead.  Steve, you are scaring me. This will be awesome.

[Badger]

  At my normal r/h I have I think osage would be a better wood and much easier to work but I think if I can get the hard pecan down to 6% it will really shine.

[dwardo]

These threads are going to settle a lot of arguments. The "can u make a heavy bow from" etc etc questions can just be directed here.

Good show.

[PatM]

Sounds like you are going to steam the limbs as well. I wouldn't do that.

[Marc St Louis]

Steaming the deflex in the handle is going to be tough Steve.  I've done a few and it is extremely hard to steam them without introducing some twist, even a bit will throw you tip alignment off.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Underlays needed on the statics Steve? That's a lot of weight trying to un-curl them.

[PatM]

I wouldn't bother with the deflex at all. The limb width should handle the weight increase. A straight through the handle recurve handles high weight at that length and draw with just two inches of limb width.

[Badger]

  All interesting comments:

  Mark, how would you induce deflex into the handle, I have never attempted to bend anything that thick with dry heat and haven't had much luck bending pecan with dry heat period. I have thought about cutting a series of little v's into the bottom of the handle and then putting inserts in them the width of my saw blade.

  Pearl, I plan to make them about 25% thicker than a 50# bow and wider, the limbs I plan to make the same thickness as a 50# bow but a lot wider.

   Pat, I feel like the deflex in the handle gives better string angles and less stress at brace even though I still have high string tension.