Osage recurve r/d

[mikekeswick]

Thanks guys This was a fun bow to make.
Hamish - the problem was always getting good enough wood. Quality hickory is in short supply here. My bamboo supplier moved to the south coast and I got sick of having to buy wood sight unseen....some people don't understand 'straight grain' and 'no knots'

[BowEd]

Mike....I've heard the developement of the R/D type design was first done way back in the 1940's.By either Fred Bear or a bowyer he hired to make it.You maybe have some more insight about this.I've made some myself through glue ups of bamboo and osage and can vouch like you said for their performance.
It seems that in the last 5 to 6 years or more a lot of self bow makers are getting good results from it too.Me included.Although I've seen some proclaimed as R/D but really too much set was taken on the inner limbs and was'nt really intended to be in the beginning.A bow like that would'nt be as good a performer as one constructed to be.All in the tillering like always,and quality of wood.Still I do see quite a difference in performance between how much reflex a bow has.They are harder to tiller in my book showing evidence of set more easily.I imagine knowing where a person starts out before tillering a R/D bow and it's final set is evidence also and takes the same degree of care of monitoring while tillering.

[BowEd]

I should add though that the way reflex is on an all reflex bow makes a big diff on how easy to tiller it.A nice even ever increasing type of reflex is best.

[mikekeswick]

I don't actually know the history of r/d designs but for it to be used on virtually all modern bows to some degree or other there must be something in it!
I agree that as with any design it is all in the tillering, set in the inner limbs is a big no no. The 'mantra' in the TBB's of no set inner limb, a little mid limb and a little more out to the tips holds true. I don't look at the bend of a limb much anymore, or at least not as much as I used to, I have more faith in a good taper and keeping a very close eye on any set and where it is.
I just don't like a lot of reflex in a bow now feeling that if you have to lose 2 inches to get it to full draw you have probably started down the slippery slope of diminishing returns. Saying that some reflexed bows have taken a fair amount of set but still been fast.....many ways to skin a cat I suppose and there are few definite answers to all these variables. 

[mikekeswick]

I should add though that the way reflex is on an all reflex bow makes a big diff on how easy to tiller it.A nice even ever increasing type of reflex is best.

Yup! I agree on that one.

[BowEd]

Yes most times after I get my taper on the limbs bending evenly and early I just moniter the wood and go with what it tells me to do to final draw length.More than 50% of reflex lost on a bow while tillering is way too much for me.30% is more to my liking.