Laminated static recurve (help!)

[Blaflair2]

So I got an osage board coming my way and wanted to try one of those Purdy laminated bows. Got some questions...

Do I have to make a trilam or can I use hick and osage with a built up handle?

How thick should I make the laminations. I've read 1/4" for back and core and thicker for belly to make weight. But if I only use the osage and hickory should I still make the hickory 1/"4

I plan on bending the osage belly to fit the handle in between it and the hickory. Any help is appreciated.

I haven't a lot of experience so I'm kinda winging it.

[bow101]

I wing it too and all I hear is crap from the goof  balls//////////////

[Blaflair2]

Lol everyone said a static recurve isn't something u make your first few bows. I pulled it off. Not exactly perfect or without a few believers help. It's just once u get it in your mind it's hard to let go. I've been seeing static recurves in my dreams. And since I saw Blackhawks lam statics and the one cal recurve posted awhile back. I can't shake it. I finally found a board of yeller wood and I'm gonna give it a go! Sometimes winging it produces the best results for me

[bubby]

You can just back the Osage, I'd steam and bend in the statics and then glue it up, but what do I know I'm just some bozo, although I prefer Krusty over bozo

[Blaflair2]

I planned on bending before glue up, but I want to put the riser block in between the laminations. And was wondering if I should make the back 1/4 or 1/8. The tri lams I've been looking at have a 1/4 back and core. So since I'm making essentially a backed bow would I just make it 1/8"? I'm using cal recurves bow that he posted a little while back as inspiration. It was backed with boo though.

Or could I make a tri lam static recurve?

I think it's just gonna come down to going for it and blowing some up 

[bubby]

Backed or Tri lam both will work

[blackhawk]

Doesn't matter if I'm making a two or three lam bow my backings are always 1/8"-1/16"...especially for a recyrve where the backing strip needs to be thin enough to conform to the shape of the recurve at glue up...if your doing a two lam bow then taper the osage 1/2"-3/8"..and if you have some extra thickness leave it thicker in the handle section ,if not keep the handle section parallel thickness wise,and just glue on a handle section after you gkue the hickory and osage together and keep your bend away from the fades and it'll be fine...

If you do a tri lam make the core the same thickness taper as your backer(pending on what core material you use)...and make the osage 3/8"-1/4" thickness taper...now if you wanted to sandwich your handle between belly and backer you'll have to make a handle block with smooth transitioning fades and you'll have to thin it from the fade area to a knife edge so it can conform to the inside curve of the fades on your handle block....but now your making too much work for yourself...honestly why not just try a simple straight bow two lams to learn the process of glue up first...learn how to crawl before you try sprinting...don't get too big headed jus cus you made one successful self bow recurve and some people said not too....a laminate recurve is a whole another ball of wax...BUT its your time and materials not mine so go for it...lol

And this barely scratches the surface...a whole lot more can be said here

[Blaflair2]

I'm not trying to get big headed. I just wanna learn. And yes I haven't made many bows that were successful. But like I said. It's in my head and I feel I gotta try. I'm getting the osage for free basically and all the other wood has been sitting in my corner. The osage board is 1"c8" or so so I have some room to fudge it up. I have the design I'm going for in my head and need to get some wood for the caul. I'll try and post a doodle so u have some idea of my plans. Let me know of they're dumb.

Also was wondering how wide to make it. I was thinking 1 3/8"

Thanks for the help and concern. I'm willing to accept failure. But I cannot accept defeat. One of these days I'll get it. So I figured I could start messing with it now

[blackhawk]

Just realize the best way to learn is to start out simpler then evolve to more complex designs....the end of my shpeel was more or less a lighthearted warning of you better be able to accept less than desired results and expectations, or even failure...

If your dead set on the recurve laminate then just do a more simple style for your first...like two lams,and just glue the working limbs straight to an inch of added reflex...and if you succeed you'll still have a sweet bow,and you will have learned what to do better or what not to do for the next one...there's always more wood out there,so don't think you only have one shot at this having one board ...then take what ya learned and do better or a lil more complex if you feel like you accomplished it well enough on the next one...for example...tight glue lines all the way around,good tiller,etc...all the qualities of a great bow...I'm still evolving and getting better as a bowyer,and I still have things I can improve on...and it took me awhile to work up the nerve to attempt a bow like the longhorn...I finally felt like I had enough skill,and more importantly the knowledge in design and performance to create such a bow....it took me over a hundred bows and attempts to really grasp things,and there's still sooooo much more to learn still