new bow start

[Selfbowman]

Pat what is that form made from it looks like granite?

[Pat B]

The recurve form is from a big chunk of red oak, the straightening form is 2 pieces of 5/4 decking boards screwed together at 90 degs.
I have 3 of those red oak forms with different degrees of recurve.

[Pat B]

I removed the bow from the recurve form then realized this recurve was slightly longer than the other..


 ...so I put the first limb back in the form and reheated it.


  Later I removed it and and here is what she looks like now...


and as you can see a bit more tip alignment is needed...

[superdav95]

Looking like a bow in there pat. 

[Pat B]

Yeah, Dave I think she'll make something.
 I've reduced the limb thickness and now she's starting to bend at floor tiller. Reduced the handle thickness and did a preliminary shaping. I'll fine tune that later. I've also put her in the reflex form and am straightening one limb and an initial tip alignment. I'll add more pics later.

[Pat B]

[Will B]

That’s looking really nice Pat. Best of luck with it the rest of the way.

[superdav95]

I love your side clamps.  I’ll have to try those

[Pat B]

Thanks, Will.
Dave, the Jorgenson clamp, and some "C" clamps clamped to the form works well when driving a wedge to move the limb over. I use them quite often.

 this is the first limb after removing it from the form...


Here are the pics of the other limb. This limb was relatively straight. I only had to get the tip aligned...

 

[Pat B]

After straightening out the tips...



I did a bit more on this limb to get the mid limb in line.
Here is a profile shot after the straightening session...


...next...on a short long string here she is at 13"(45#)...

..the right limb has a hoopti-doo about 4" out from the handle giving a visible appearance of a hinge.
...next pic at 16"(47#)

...as you can see I still need to get both limbs bending evenly and together but I still have about 16# to reduce.
I'm shooting for 45#@23-25#. She will be sinew backed so I think I can possibly get to 25".

[superdav95]

That’s gonna be a cool little bow.  Still following this one. 

[bjrogg]

Looking good Pat. If nobody else wants to shoot it I will. I don’t mind shooting those short ones.

Bjrogg

PS I hope I didn’t lead you astray with all my splitting wood off the belly reductions. I did figure out that it doesn’t work very well with thin early wood staves.

Bjrogg

[Pat B]

No, Brian, I've split off piggybacks successfully before. That's why I tried it. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. At least I got something to work with.
 I've been flattening out two of the worst hoop-t-dos with heat yesterday and today. Soon I'll get back to tillering. One of the recurves was a bit more than the other so I've made them the same too.
 It's been an interesting build so far, Dave. Just hope it stays that way.

[Pat B]

I got her to low brace this morning and the string tracks to the off side on the upper limb so I have her on a form to straighten out that limb. Once I'm sure that everything lines up I'll start prepping to add the sinew. I still have 20# or so to loose and she is still holding some reflex. I'll pull her into a few more inches of reflex then add the sinew.

[Pat B]

beginning the sinew...