Reflex and Bamboo

[ShinneryOak]

When gluing in Perry reflex or R/D with bamboo, is it best to leave the boo full width and then trim around the bow profile after glueup- or precut it to the bow shape and then glue? With the second option you could thin the boo out to a knife edge all around before gluing. That would leave the boo quite a bit thinner at the tips (which is recommended by some).  My head says the precut piece should still fit the bow when you pull in the reflex. Am I off base? I'm down to my last piece of boo so I'm counting on you guys... no pressure! 

[Parnell]

Precut the piece, that way you can put a tape layer over the bamboo to protect it from getting glue all over it.  It's easier to clamp to the form that way, also, especially if your using wraps to bind it down, like bicycle inner tubes cut into strips to lash it down.

[ShinneryOak]

Thanks, I'll try precutting it. Guess I need to go buy some bicycle tubes and slice them up. Tried an Ace bandage over Saran Wrap once but hard to get it tight enough. 

[Tim B]

If you go to a bicycle shop they will give you old inner tubes that they recycle for free. No need to spend any money on them if you have a shop near by.

[Eric Krewson]

I make my bamboo cut out a perfect as I can, very carefully laid out and even like the finished bow I plan to make. Next, I thin the bamboo to have almost a knife edge (1/16") on every side, tip to handle. I make a center line on my osage core, line up the bamboo with the centerline on the core and trace around my bamboo. I then cut out my osage core leaving just a little extra wood on the sides and the tip a little long.

When mate the glued bamboo and osage together I line up the bamboo with the center line again and place about 4 evenly spaced, very tight wraps of masking tape around each limb to keep the bamboo from shifting. I clamp the handle section to my glue up table then pull up the tips on to blocks to reflex the limbs and start adding C clamps.

Here is the end result.

[jwillis]

Eric, do you prefer to pull the limbs into a long reflex curve the entire length of the limb from fade to tip, or just from the middle of the limbs? Jim

[Eric Krewson]

I reflex the entire limb but I have already tapered the limbs so they are much thicker in the fades than the tips so I do end up with more reflex from mid limb out.