Adding reflex advice....

[Stingray45]

I just finished up a nice sycamore bow this morning. I'll post some pictures later when I get home from work. The bow is 64" ntn, 1.5" wide the length of the bow except the last 6 inches on each limb tapers down to about 5/8" nocks. I'm going to sand those down some during final sanding. Right now it's pulling 45#@28". I have it tillered all the way out to 30" but I pull about 27-3/4". It has taken on some set, 1-1/2" on one limb and 1-1/2" to 1-5/8" on the other limb. My question is how much, if any, poundage could I expect to pick up by reflexing the tips? The 45#'s is a little under what I was hoping for, I was hoping to come in more around 50#-55#, then once I did final sanding and shooting it in I'd be between 45#-50#. I was thinking of doing the final sanding tonight and then using some dry heat to reflexing the tips. It's shooting pretty quick right now I was thinking I could shorten it up to 62" but I didnt want her to take on any more set. I could also maybe drop it down to 62" and induce reflex. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[George Tsoukalas]

I usually do that right after long string tillering if I decide to. It may not hold but it doesn't hurt to try unless you crack it while heating. I grease the last 8 inches. Get it hot to the touch and reflex it in a vice gently. A couple of heatings may be needed. Honestly, I'd enjoy it as it. I'd be afraid to screw up a bow that already reached full draw and shoots well. Jawge

[Stingray45]

Yeah that's what I was kinda thinking. I'll just have to go slow on the sanding and hope to not take too much. I mean I've stretched it out alot so I might not loose a ton of weight shooting it in. What I had been doing (and this could be wrong) when I am working my bow up to findal draw length, I have my stillering stick hooked up with a string and pulley to my hand scale. So for each inch I move it up I pull the bow between 20-25 times working it to that inch, but a little bit farther each time. So for example when I have it pulling to 26" I pull it 20-25 times at 26" but by the time I get to number 15 I am starting to pull a little past 26" by number 20 I want to be at 26.5" or 26.75" and then by 25 I'm hitting 27" and I continue that way. Since 28" was my target I pulled it about 30 times or so there and then I pulled it 20 times at 29" and then probably another 10 times to around 29.5". I only shot about 10 arrows through it because I had to get ready for work, so it's only been pulled to full draw 50 or 60 times. I need to put some more arrows through it tonight. I'm gluied on a piece of Osage this morning for an arrow rest, I need to do final standing tonight. Hopefully I'll be able to sand it out and maybe put another 50 arrows through and I'll see whare I'm at. I do have another piece of sycamore that I believe would also like to become a bow so I can just take what I've learned frome this one and shoot for a higher weight on that piece. So far I really like working with Sycamore and find it to be a pretty good would for bow making. The pieces I had took a lot of set, more than I was hoping for, I may try heat bending just to see if I can get it to settle back in as close to 0 +/- as I can get.

[Parnell]

I tried adding some outer limb reflex after final tiller with a hackberry bow.  It didn't work.
I'd consider shortening it to 62" and picking up the poundage boost.  I suppose it could be sinew backed as well, if you wanted it that badly. 
I'd say your best option sounds like enjoying a good bow and moving onto the next one!

[Stingray45]

I think I'm going to take that advice. I'm just going to final sand this bow and finish it up and hope it stays above 40#. I mean I dont have a problem hunting with it between 40#-45#, I'm not looking to take more than a 15 yard shot anyway and I know that's enough weight for that. I may try putting a little reflex in it to see if it takes or not, if it doesnt nothing lost.

[Gordon]

I've not had much sucess adding reflex after a bow has gone through final tiller. Even if some of the reflex held, it would add more stress to the inner limbs resulting in additional set. At this point it is a zero sum game.

[Cacatch]

You could shorten it a bit and heat treat it a little and I don't think you'd have a problem with it, but I would not try to induce any reflex at this point. I would be very afraid it would crack. 62" is still a reasonable length, and between that and the heat, you would raise your poundage. I would just do those 2 things.

CP

[Stingray45]

I've heard that as well that reflexing doesn't actually take the set out it just gives the appearence of it being gone but actually puts more stress on the bow. The only reason I was afraid of taking it down 2" is because I thought I would put more stress on the limbs and cause it to take more set. I think I'll do some final sanding tonight and see what the weight ends up at. It doesn't lose too much weight I may just leave it alone. I would like to have final weight somewhere around 45#, which is where I am now. So we'll see how it goes.

As far as heating it, do you just mean to heat treat the belly? kind of just toast it to help add some weight? I've seen some guys on here do that, I've never tried it myself but there's a first time for everything! I'll post pics tonight.

[Cacatch]

Yeah, that's what I meant about the heat, just LIGHTLY toast the belly. If you take it down an inch or two it will cause you to have a tad bit more set, but it will increase your draw weight. Just the advantage vs. disadvantage. I've shortened and heat treated bows before and as long as you aren't shortening them too much, I've not see where it hurts anything, but it does raise poundage.

CP

[George Tsoukalas]

I always shoot it before final sanding. Note how it feels when you pull and when you release. Look for tipping limbs. Jawge

[Stingray45]

Maybe Ill heat treat the belly first and see where the poundage ends up first before I go and shorten the bow.

[George Tsoukalas]

Ask Marc St Louis about heat treating sycamore but I would not shorten a 64 inch bow you want to draw 28 inches. It's already too short. It should at least be 66 ntn. Jawge