Two bows, Two quetions

[JoJoDapyro]

I am trying to finish up some gifts for some friends. The first is a red oak board, pretty much pyramid design. What is the best way to induce reflex?

Second bow is for a friends nephew, he is 16 but very small. It is also red oak, the design on this one isn't important. I am going to back the bow with goat leather with a sake skin pattern, I have already made him a quiver out of the same material. What is the best glue to use to glue this down? The back side of the leather is about like sued. Thanks again for the info, you guys make this stuff almost too easy!

[chamookman]

For reflex on Hickory, I'd use a heat gun. For glueing the Goat skin, TB3 should work well. Good luck - Bob.

[JoJoDapyro]

I know to use heat, but am I going to have to heat the back using a caul? Or heat the belly while braced?

[bubby]

Joe heat the BELLY while on a caul

[JoJoDapyro]

  err. Deflex. I have recurved the tips, now I need to get the mid limb deflexed a bit. Kinda like a 5 bend. Sorry for my dislexia, or just misusage of terms. Thanks.

[lebhuntfish]

When you get ready to glue the leather down.  Sand the swade down till its nice and smooth and even. Then make sure you size the leather  with a thin coat of glue. I would suggest mixing the TB wit some water, say 3 parts glue to 1 part water. After you size it let it dry completely, that leather will work like a sponge. Do this to the bow also. Then apply a decent coat of glue to both and apply your skin. Hope this is as clear as mud!

As far as the reflex,  check the TBB 4 in the part about heat treating. I did a bow like that the other day and it works pretty slick! Patrick

[J05H]

I've never deflexed a stave before, but I think what I would try would be to strap the bow handle to your bench back down with a block for a spacer to make room for you recurves. Heat it with your heat gun, and then raise the limbs up while its hot and put some blocks under the tips to hold them up till it cools. I'm not saying it'll work for sure because I've never done it but I think it will.

[mikekeswick]

Don't heat deflex in mid limb. Just leave as is.

[JoJoDapyro]

Thanks for all the answers guys. One more question. What is the goat leather going to do to the performance of the bow? I am making a completely wild guess and thinking that it will slow it down?

[bubby]

Well even very thin leather will add mass so you should figure on it having some effect on the bows performance, I can't venture a guess how much, one way to find out

[JoJoDapyro]

Thanks Bubby. I assume it will slow it down a bit, I just don't know if my thinking is wrong. This is a bow for  small human. I don't want to add too much to it and have to tiller a bunch off, It is currently at floor tiller.

[Springbuck]

  If you  don't want to make a caul, tie the tip downon one end and put an assortment of spacers to ge the shape. I do bows all the time tied to a board at the tip loosely, insert some dowels or scrap chunks, bend some reflec over it and tie down the hnadle.  OCCASIONALLY, I will have one like this that is not completely secured (like all along with C-clamps secured) try to warp sideways a bit, but usually it's ok.

[JoJoDapyro]

I have a Reflex/Deflex caul that I made. As well as a Recurve tip caul that I made. They are both made of a 2X12.