Should I or Shouldn't I?

[Drewster]

I'm working on a black locust bow made from sister billets.  There is a solid knot about 9" from the tips that I was able to split down the middle.  The bow will be 68" ntn and is 1 3/4" wide at the fades.  The limbs will have a slight taper due to the wood available after the split.

Since each limb has the knot bump which starts a natural recurve, I've been thinking about recurving the limbs but am concerned about the knot areas.  If I steam the tips really well, can I get that knot area to bend or am I courting disaster?  I'm also planning to heat treat the belly as my next step.

I would appreciate some input from you guys that do a lot of bending work.  Thanks!

[PatM]

It will probably bend OK but separate along the growth ring about three rings down in the hollow. Probably better to recurve beyond that point

[Drewster]

PatM, how about if I thin the knot area so I have a continuous ring on the belly?

[PatM]

 I wouldn't risk it.

[JonW]

I would just kick up the tips. Bending through a knot isn't a good idea.

[blackhawk]

U have plenty of room to put in recurves after those deflex kinks...BUT 68" ntn is on the long side for a recurve..unless ya got a 30" draw. But yeah... A general rule is to never try any major heat bending on such kinks n knots....it won't end well. I personally wouldn't put recurves in a stave like that...but that's just me. I agree with Jon and I'd just flip the tips up a little past those kinks.

[mikekeswick]

Shouldn't 

[huisme]

Wouldn't. Probably couldn't

[Drewster]

Looks like a unanimous "shouldn't".   Thanks gentlemen.  I like the idea of just flipping the tips up a bit.

Blackhawk, well I do have a 29 1/2" draw.

Back to work..........

[George Tsoukalas]

As is the stave is short for a 29.5" draw.
You'll probably snap it like a twig if you cut it down and draw it almost 30".
If you leave the knots I would tiller it so the knots appear slightly flattened.
Jawge

[PatM]

How would one tiller so that an area already looking bent becomes flat at full draw? 

[Drewster]

The tips are about 1" wide at the moment, so I'll loose a bit more of the knot bumps when I narrow the tips.  Perhaps I should tiller it as is and not try to flip the tips at all.  That area shouldn't be bending very much anyway.

Jawge, could you explain "appear slightly flattened"?

[George Tsoukalas]

When I tiller a knotted area I do not want it bending as much as the rest of the limb.

That is what I meant by slightly flattened.

Even when an area has no knots but is deflexed it still has to do its share of the work and should bend. However, with knots it should not bend as much as the rest of the limb.

That is what I was taught.

Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

On difficult staves like that I used to mark off each limb in 6 inch increments. I would use an outside caliper. Start it at the end of the fade. Give it a turn and move to the next stop. Remove wood so it will get there. Continue. Jawge

[bradsmith2010]

shouldn't