Natural deflex

[Stick Bender]

Wow let's see what the Beadman says if that stave is 72 in how much is strait to that bend  ?

[Dkincaid]

41"

[Stick Bender]

Let's see what others say  but if somebody gave me that stave I would be thinking about chasing a ring on the belly getting it ruffed out and limbs thinned down and taking some of the deflex which would turn into reflex now out and match the other limb. Making the bow shorter say 60 in. & sinew  but I'm just thinking out loud that would work but let's see what some of the other guys say

[BowEd]

Dkincaid.....Good old osage.It never disappoints ya....lol.Conforming to the shape is all a part of making these bows.This will take some shaping to get both limbs matched.To straighten that baby out to even get a flat profile in the end would take quite a stressful bend in such a short small area.Too stressful IMHO especially in the working portion of the limb.Unless that area was used in a stiff section of the bow.It would be different if it was more gradual over a longer stretch.
Cutting it off to a 62" bow so you'd lose some of that deflexed end/roughing it out to 1/2" thick 1.5" wide to be steam bent a little past flat in that area or more.A person has to remember heat bent wood will come back half way yet after bending and stressing it.You'll need a caul or form so it can cool down clamped in.Don't know what you want for draw length and poundage but that length should handle most archers.
In short I'd try to get a D/R bow out of this one yet.First getting the deflexed limb to shape then matching the good limb to that.That means deflexing the fade area and beyond some to to match the lines on the deflexed limb in question then reflexing the outside 12" only not quite on the area that was deflexed.I would'nt want to stress that any more then it has been.After the limbs are matched I would heat temper the whole thing at the shape that you like on a caul.No gaurantees here mind you but it might shape up good enough to be tillered.The question would be to me as to whether all the bending done on the deflexed limb holds well staying matched to the good limb while tillering.Going for a lower poundage bow in the 40's would help with that.Osage is some amazing wood and I think there is a bow in there.

[bradsmith2010]

thats a challenging one,, I am still thinking,, wow... 

[DC]

At the risk of me being a jerk you could make a hockey stick out of it, sell that and buy a straight stave. Other than that I would work it down to a more limb-like size and try to straighten it with steam. Rather than try to make it perfectly straight I would steam a long area and let it take it's own shape as you line the tips up. You will end up with a roller coaster but you won't be concentrating all the strain in one area. Again, I've never worked Osage.

[John Scifres]

If it were me, I'd go for it.  Thin it to 5/8" or less and pretty close to bow dimensions and get a heat gun and a caul.  Here's one I did last week with a lot of deflex.  Not nearly as much as yours but still, it shows what can be done.  I had very little bounceback.  Take your time, heat it through without scorching.

https://youtu.be/mAow6vmOzHs

[BowEd]

Dkincaid....There are other options too.This paticular idea is'nt the only way either.Possibly cutting off 10" from the longer straight end will put your deflexed area right into your handle then too on a 62" bow but wo'nt reduce the deflex much as cutting the 10" from the shorter end.A little though just not as much.It all depends on the degree of experience you have with heat bending with forms etc.If D/R is the path you take you should have or get a form for that.We are'nt trying to make a flat profiled bow here.We'll try to blend that deflex into the profile of the bow.If a person can get the deflex down to 1" overall to the tip each way on each limb your in the ball park.Match the profile of the straight limb to that.Then reflex the outer 12" of each limb to match each other.Put it on your D/R form and heat temper the whole bow.
Doing all of this after you have the bow closely rough profiled to bow dimensions thickness tapered and width tapered wise first though.Don't know the degree of that,that you have either.It'll take a little time.Have you made a dozen bows or so?
Osage is some of the easiest wood to heat and bend.

[ty_in_ND]

How wide is the stave? It looks pretty straight up until that wicked dogleg. If the stave has some decent width (3" ideal), could a person cut the dogleg off, cut the stave down the middle (making 2 billets), then splice them together?

[Dkincaid]

It's very narrow been busy at work great replies guys

[DuBois]

What about a backwards bow with recurves? Put a recurve on the straight end to match the deflex turned reflex once backwards and put a backing on it? Just throwing ideas out there. Good luck with it

[BowEd]

Dkincaid...There's a bow in there.How wide is it?Does it have a real flat back to it like from a big tree stave?Dubois's idea has some pretty good merit.Although I've never done that.Ty's idea would work too if it were wider.What's it look like top view?Any twists?At 1.5" it will still make quite a powerful bow.5/8" thick at fades tapered 1/8" to 1/2" along the foot long length on the parallel limbs there then to 7/16" thick 8" from tip to 1/2" thick again 6" from tip.Narrowing your width from midlimb to the 8" from the tip mark.Those are finished dimensions on that R/D bow.If the bow is narrower than 1.5" the thickness should be a smidge more then.Just to bend it into shape there would be a 1/16" more material on it overall to tiller off.Like I said earlier it'll take a bit of persuading to get that.Even if you rough it out/get it into shape to tiller with it being from a stave a year old I would let it set in the house a good month to be sure it's completely dry and then try to tiller it.Seems like you've got a question and I've got a half dozen for you....lol.Not trying to throw obstacles in your way of the build here but these kind of staves take a band saw/files/heat gun/time/forms/and clamps to turn into bows over here on the fast track.Doing a little at a time works pretty good too though.
Anyway those are my thoughts.It's your bow in the end so do what pleases you.

[aaron]

When I first read this thread, I was like" ho, hum, 'nother deflex stave thread". But when I saw the pic, I was like, "DAYUM... this is gonna be interesting". Lots of good options presented so far. I have to ask- is the pic actually what the bow's side view looks like? Or is the picture stretched horizontally? The light switch looks unnatural- like it was stretched horizontally. I hope for your sake this is the case- haha.

[Dkincaid]

Guys I'll post more tomorrow I'm beat.  I do believe it's stretched as I had to resize the photo and it was my first time.

[loefflerchuck]

Make a 41" bow from it or splice the handle with another billet.