Author Topic: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"  (Read 11527 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Badger

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,124
Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« on: June 06, 2014, 10:18:25 pm »
   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

  • Guest
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2014, 10:23:31 pm »
I hope you beefed up your tillering tree >:D

Offline Wooden Spring

  • Member
  • Posts: 437
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2014, 10:47:59 pm »
135 pounds??? HOLY CRAP... If you want to sling around 135 pounds, I'll send you my wife!!!
"Everything that moves shall be food for you..." Genesis 9:3

Offline Badger

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,124
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2014, 11:01:33 pm »
135 pounds??? HOLY CRAP... If you want to sling around 135 pounds, I'll send you my wife!!!

  That sounds like a deal!

Offline Blaflair2

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,042
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2014, 11:53:59 pm »
I don't even have a scale that goes that high.
Nothing ventured nothing gained

Offline bubby

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,054
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2014, 11:55:29 pm »
cool, good luck badger I know some of us are going the opposite direction with the challenge
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline JackCrafty

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 5,628
  • Sorry Officer, I was just gathering "materials".
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2014, 12:17:20 am »
 8) Watching this!
Any critter tastes good with enough butter on it.

Patrick Blank
Midland, Texas
Youtube: JackCrafty, Allergic Hobbit, Patrick Blank

Where's Rock? Public Waterways, Road Cuts, Landscape Supply, Knap-Ins.
How to Cook It?  200° for 24hrs then 275° to 500° for 4hrs (depending on type), Cool for 12hr

Offline toomanyknots

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,132
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #7 on: June 07, 2014, 12:21:37 am »
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.
"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 Badger

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,124
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #8 on: June 07, 2014, 12:39:40 am »
  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.

Offline dwardo

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,456
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #9 on: June 07, 2014, 08:22:31 am »
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.

Offline PatM

  • Member
  • Posts: 6,737
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #10 on: June 07, 2014, 09:43:34 am »
Sounds like you are going to steam the limbs as well. I wouldn't do that.

Offline Marc St Louis

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 7,877
  • Keep it flexible
    • Marc's Bows and Arrows
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #11 on: June 07, 2014, 10:04:00 am »
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.
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com

Offline PEARL DRUMS

  • Member
  • Posts: 14,079
  • }}}--CK-->
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #12 on: June 07, 2014, 10:59:56 am »
Underlays needed on the statics Steve? That's a lot of weight trying to un-curl them.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline PatM

  • Member
  • Posts: 6,737
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #13 on: June 07, 2014, 11:20:02 am »
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.

Offline Badger

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,124
Re: Build Along 65" 135# recurve "Challenge Bow"
« Reply #14 on: June 07, 2014, 12:05:41 pm »
  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.