Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: H Rhodes on March 05, 2015, 08:22:11 pm
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I have an osage bow under construction that i have real high hopes will be a fine recurve. I steam bent some awesome hooks into it and it is one of those flawless staves that you just know wants to be a bow. I am a little afraid of the initial stringing. Last time out with such a reflexed stave, I had a little bit of hell in trying to brace it that first time and broke it, trying to go to far too fast. Thinking back on that project, I realize that I didn't spend much time with a long string at all. After all my rambling on this subject, I would love to hear the thoughts of some of you recurve bow experts on reaching first brace with an extremely recurved stave. I plan on doing more long string tillering with this one, or at least that is what i am thinking now. I barely use a long string with D shaped straight stave long bows, going from floor tiller to very low brace, but maybe the recurves require more of it? Thank y'all for putting up with me thinking out loud on this subject and I am open to any advice.
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Have it low braced and tillered before you bend hooks in. Once the hooks are in you pop a string right back on. Tweak the tiller and reduce the weight. I push/pull them all to brace.
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Too late on this one. It was at a real stiff floor tiller when I bent them. I will try that on the next one PD, thanks.
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I just go right to low brace with recurves.
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Howard,
I watched a deal where fells was stringing up the asiatic bows and one guy would bend the bow over his knee by pulling back on the limbs just below the hooks....and a second guy strung it. I know thats not what your doing but maybe if you bent the bow over your knee you could get it to a place where you knew that you could low brace it......but hell what do I know?
rich
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Me too Pat, but I got burnt last time and i guess i am a little gun shy. I will put my big boy pants on and brace this sucker in the next couple of days. I just read PatB's post on the "floor tiller" post a while ago. I think I am going to try it his way on this one. I will post some pics later. Thanks.
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Howard,
I watched a deal where fells was stringing up the asiatic bows and one guy would bend the bow over his knee by pulling back on the limbs just below the hooks....and a second guy strung it. I know thats not what your doing but maybe if you bent the bow over your knee you could get it to a place where you knew that you could low brace it......but hell what do I know?
rich
You know a heckuva lot! This one is something a little different for me Rich. It has a big ole thick handle with a rest cut in... Still some help in the bracing department might be in order. I may have to bring some more hands to it on it's big day.
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You can just place the tips on the floor floor and press the handle down to get an idea of how it's bending.
A peg board jig is another good option if you don't want to wrestle with it too much.
I'll be at this stage soon with this beast.
(http://i399.photobucket.com/albums/pp78/pat_05/IMG_2282_zpskdssylnk.jpg)
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Have it low braced and tillered before you bend hooks in. Once the hooks are in you pop a string right back on. Tweak the tiller and reduce the weight. I push/pull them all to brace.
I tried push/pull on a recurve and couldn't pull it off. I was kind of pushing at the base of the recurve and couldn't push and get the string in the nock at the same time. Any idea what am I doing wrong?
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I have a peg board behind my tiller tree and i agree that it is helpful. That first bracing on a recurve can surely be a wrestling match. Maybe having a helper there like Rich was talking about might be the ticket. Mine looks similar to that one Pat.
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What sort of draw weight are you looking at?
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55lbs or so.
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I can't push pull a recurve to brace either. The few recurves I have made I put an extra stringer nock on the top. A stringer makes that first brace really easy actually. If you have extra space above your top nock, try it out, you can always cut it off later if you hate it.
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If it was a stiff floor tiller before then you need to remove some wood and get a good floor tiller, i get at least to brace more like 18-20", get two saw horses and pad the tops and the spread them out to about the hooks then you can push down on the handle and check floor tiller like that
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Thanks guys. Y'all are giving me some good ideas. Bubby I will try the saw horse idea. I got a buddy of mine lined up to be there when I get it ready to brace. I am going to remove some belly wood tomorrow and get this tillering underway. Bubbles that sounds like something to try as well.
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Have it low braced and tillered before you bend hooks in. Once the hooks are in you pop a string right back on. Tweak the tiller and reduce the weight. I push/pull them all to brace.
I tried push/pull on a recurve and couldn't pull it off. I was kind of pushing at the base of the recurve and couldn't push and get the string in the nock at the same time. Any idea what am I doing wrong?
The bow has to be more horizontal than a straight bow does to push/pull. The bottom hook needs to be buried right into your foot's arch. The just do your thing. The only bow I cant push/pull is my recent Grumley. Stringers are fine if they hook up beyond your string grooves as mentioned above. You don't want to use the style with a pad that pushes on the limb and socket on the other end, its way un-even pressuere and nasty for the limbs.
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Another trick instead of floor tillering/longstring I use is to clamp the handle in my vice and flex the limbs with my hand. That way you get a real good eyeball on whats happening.
For first stringing a peg board is best once the weight/reflex starts going up. You get great control with them and it's very easy. Failing that step through works well with recurves (if done correctly!).
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Pearly, those grumleys made me flinch every time. It seems like it just wants to fly out of your hand. I agree with burying it on ur foots arch. The narrower the bow I find it's more squirrely
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I really like the stringer. Its safe, distributes the stress evenly and allows you to brace it at higher weights without getting a hernia. You might try it. It does require you leave your tips a little longer which you can cut down later when your done with tillering and you have reached your target weight.
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I also use a cup type stringer to brace a new recurve or at least until it is a manageable weight. You still have to be careful that the bow doesn't twist or spin in your hand as you put tension on the stringer.
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PearlDrums mentioned my best method. Get it roughed out pretty close to tiller first, then bend the recurves.
The other thing is, I don't love floor tillering. I can do it, just doesn't come naturally. One thing I like about shorter bows, recurves, and mollies, is I can often spread my 74" wingspan, grasp the limbs and "floor-tiller" it by bending it slightly over my knee. Brace the handle on the front of your knee under the kneecap, grab as far out as you can and flex it with a wide-hands rowing motion. Then flip it and repeat.