Spliced Tip Alignment?

[mmattockx]

For those that do spliced on recurve tips or siyahs, how do you get the tips lined up?


Thanks,
Mark

[bownarra]

By only using very straight wood in the first place and then use an accurate centreline.

[mmattockx]

By only using very straight wood in the first place and then use an accurate centreline.

How do you get the splices straight? Assuming you are using V splices for the tips, that is. I have no issue making the body of the bow straight and making straight tips, it is the joining of the two where I can see it going wrong.


Mark

[Pat B]

With any splices both parts should have perfect alignment before glue up and a dry run will show if the alignment is good. Even right after glue up and while the glue is still not cured you can make slight adjustments with hand pressure.
 With some glues you can use some heat for adjustments but not many.

[Aaron H]

 Like Mike and Pat  said, you’ve got to establish a perfectly straight centerline on both the limbs and the siyahs and cut your v splices according to that centerline.   It’s also very important to leave all pieces quite wide, because there will be some slight misalignment after glue up, and this way you can trim both down to get a perfectly straight core.   

[Aaron H]

I use a slab of granite to establish a perfectly straight centerline, but any flat surface would due.  Also, when building a 5 piece design like shown, you should do your grip to limb joints separately from the tip joints.  This way, you can re-establish your centerline after the grip is glued, in case there is any misalignment after those joints.  This is a Crimean Tatar that I am working on.

[bradsmith2010]

how do you string that,,?

[mmattockx]

I use a slab of granite to establish a perfectly straight centerline, but any flat surface would due.  Also, when building a 5 piece design like shown, you should do your grip to limb joints separately from the tip joints.  This way, you can re-establish your centerline after the grip is glued, in case there is any misalignment after those joints.  This is a Crimean Tatar that I am working on.

I had envisioned doing the tips in their narrow, approximately final form. I see you are doing yours like a typical fibreglass lam bow, with everything full width and then you cut down to the back profile you want. That certainly would simplify the alignment issues and I should have no problems making that work on a form or flat surface like you are doing.

That's a crazy looking bow, I can't imagine working with that.

how do you string that,,?

With great trepidation I expect. 


Mark

[Aaron H]

how do you string that,,?

Asa gezi (Tiller stick), Tepeliks, and peg board, in that order.   

I had envisioned doing the tips in their narrow, approximately final form. I see you are doing yours like a typical fibreglass lam bow, with everything full width and then you cut down to the back profile you want.

Yes and no.  You first need to have a final width of the base of the siyahs determined beforehand. This will be what you cut your slices to, and what you will end up trimming down to for final shaping. Beyond that, yes you can leave them wide to trim as needed.  Precision is very important in this type of construction, and things need to be well thought out.

[mmattockx]

Yes and no.  You first need to have a final width of the base of the siyahs determined beforehand. This will be what you cut your slices to, and what you will end up trimming down to for final shaping.

Just to clarify, you make the splice just as wide as the finished tip width, then cut down to that? Like the attached picture? Make the width of V-joint you need, leave a small gap between the tip and the limb, then trim down to the width of the splice after (trim to the dashed lines)?

Precision is very important in this type of construction, and things need to be well thought out.

Now this is a type of woodworking I can manage. I will never be an artist, but I can be a decent technician on the details and design.


Mark

[PatM]

A spliced in tip could actually be glued quite skewed and still work fine.  As long as you have width to reduce one side or the other to leave it centered after working it.
 
   Your V splice can be non-centered too. Once it's glued it doesn't "know" it's off.

[Aaron H]

Yes, but you don’t want the base of the tip section squared off like you have drawn, just continue the v splice out till they run off the siyahs.

And Pat is right, your finished part doesn’t know whether it is perfectly centered. Perfection is never achieved, but it is strived for.

[mmattockx]

A spliced in tip could actually be glued quite skewed and still work fine.  As long as you have width to reduce one side or the other to leave it centered after working it.

It was the leaving extra width that I wasn't thinking about. I agree that centering it by removing material after the glue up is much easier.

Yes, but you don’t want the base of the tip section squared off like you have drawn, just continue the v splice out till they run off the siyahs.

That was just a quick sketch for the idea, I agree that I wouldn't carry the tip full width to the joint like that in reality.


Mark