Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on April 29, 2019, 10:15:56 am
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This node is just in the wrong place. It was in the wrong place on the last bow I tried to use it on and again on this one. Can I thin this out so it will follow the bend or will it never follow the bend or maybe even break? Should I try to remove wood(?) from the inside or outside of the bend? Should I save it for a longer/shorter bow?
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Try putting a block of wood under it and shaping it to fit the gap.
I'd like to know how you are bending that bamboo, mine splits on the crown when I bend it to fit the curve.
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Try putting a block of wood under it and shaping it to fit the gap.
I'd like to know how you are bending that bamboo, mine splits on the crown when I bend it to fit the curve.
+1
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Ya mean like this? The other end is OK. I first bent this a few months ago so I can't remember why it split. Of all the boo bows I've done this is the only one that's split. I don't know what I'm doing right. I use steam or dry heat. Dry makes a tighter bend.
I'm not sure what you mean by "putting a block of wood under it and shaping it to fit the gap". I tried heating it and clamping it into the recurve. This is all it would bend because it's too thick.
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You could thin it a little more then steam or boil it and then see if it will bend to fit. I wouldn't put too much pressure on it as that is the weak link in the boo. Next time try to place the nodes so they are not in the curves.
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Maybe I should use another piece and save this one for a straight bow. Although it doesn't need any strength right in the center of the bend but it has to look reasonably good. That's why I was thinking I could sand the node off and then maybe it would bend evenly. I've never touched the nodes on the boo bows I've made so this is new ground for me. I wonder if I have a piece of scrap I could try it on. Hmmmmm.
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You could thin it a little more then steam or boil it and then see if it will bend to fit.
Would you thin it on the inside or the outside of the boo?
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If you thin it on the inside and heat and squeeze it should be able to bend tighter.
Flyrod makers actually flatten nodes in a vice to make them compress and flatten.
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You can thin that boo a lot. Thin on the inside and take down that node some on the outside. It isn't bending much there, so you shouldn't have to worry about splinters.
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I thinned it out and pushed it into place with the barrel of a 150 watt American Beauty soldering iron. It needs a little finessing but it's there, Thanks guys
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That is a very low stress-point so I wouldn't worry about too much. I would have used a small C clamp and a heat gun but you did well with what you did
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Very nice (f)
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You gunna show us the bow when your done? Im just itching to know whats going on!
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Looks like you fixed it already ;D What I have done a few times is cut a piece out of the middle and splice it back together (lap splice with a little wrap afterwards has never let me down). Moves the node an inch or two back and is really not a lot of work.
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Will do Deer.
Leon, I have done that on previous bows for different reason. I glue in reflex when I use a backing. I'm concerned with where the extra wood/boo goes when I reflex them. With a straight bow it's not a problem, it can just slide along, but with tight recurves the backing is kind of trapped and has nowhere to go when you reflex it. I've done the limbs one at a time to avoid that. If I'm going to have a join in the backing I like to use a short "power lam" just to reinforce the joint. One piece backing avoids all this.
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You can guesstimate and make your bends a bit closer together where you anticipate they will need to be to line up with the core bends when reflexed.
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My guesstimate would be 1/8-1/4" so as usual I'm probably making a mountain out of a mole hill. I would imagine, though, that if the boo was trapped and you were actually compressing it when you reflexed that a lot of the reflex would come out as soon as you unclamped.
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I really don't think it's being compressed to any degree.