1st Perry Reflex glue-up

[Knoll]

Few pics of first effort to achieve Perry Reflex. 

Supported tips using couple garden edging blocks.


Eye screws placed into workbench, threaded string through those screws and over handle, and then used eye screws & string to pull bow handle almost down to surface of workbench.

'Bout 3" of reflex.

Spring clamps used to clamp backing to limb at tips. 


Titebond II is adhesive.  Used ace bandage as wrap to clamp along length of backing/limb.


Now to wait 24 hours, which seems like eternity for impatient person.  Got my fingers crossed!
Michael

[GB]

Looks like you've got good reflex in it.  Looking good, Michael.

[DarkSoul]

"Used ace bandage as wrap to clamp along length of backing/limb."
Hm......that's the first time I see this method. I doubt the bandage would apply enough pressure to clamp the two laminations together. What glue did you use? It may work with an epoxy, which tolerates small gaps. But a glue like Titebond really needs thinner glue lines. Why didn't you use inner tubes for clamping? That's a proven method which is able to apply more pressure.

[Knoll]

Was able to wait 22 out of the 24 that had promised self.  After unwrapping, unclamping, and untying there was 1 1/2" of reflex retained.

[bubbles]

I was under the impression you were to tiller the bow to an even bend to around brace height, then glue up the backing in reflex.  Otherwise the reflex achieved is not evenly spread throughout the limb. 

[GB]

As long as you don't have big gaps along the edge of your glue line, I think it will be fine, especially for your first try.  You'll come up with ways to make the next ones better and better.  I do mine with the 30 C-clamps and Unibond, but I know of quite a few guys who use Titebond 3 and also use other methods for keeping pressure on the slats.  I just used TB3 and an Ace bandage wrap to glue cherry bark to the back of an elm bow and it worked beautifully.
I could have put more reflex in the first bamboo backed osage I made as well.  I left the belly lam too thick and was afraid it would crack if I put anymore pressure on it.  It still turned out to be a good shooter and holds about 3/4" of reflex.  Bottom line is, you wanted to put reflex into it and you did it.  Now the real fun begins; you get to tiller it. 

[Badger]

  I am a little concerned the handle might pop off, I usually start with a 3/4" thick board at the handle.

[Knoll]

  I am a little concerned the handle might pop off, I usually start with a 3/4" thick board at the handle.

I'm more than a little concerned.    

[bradsmith2010]

well at least you are started,, what does not work can be refined,,,maybe if the bow was very light the handle might work,,,but badger has a good point,, also make the tiller bend more mid limb out,, with not much bend in the middle,,

[GB]

Badger's right; it's best to leave as much thickness in the handle area as you can so you can rasp into the belly wood at the handle fades.  Sometime you don't need much though.  On one of my tri-lams I'm into the belly lam less than 1/8" and the handle didn't pop off.  It will help if you make the taper of your handle fades as long as possible.  You only need 4" in the middle for your hand.  I've found that it's easier to cut the taper on the handle block before I glue it to the belly.  Start tillering that bow!

[Knoll]

Start tillering that bow!

It's too d@*& hot/humid!

[GB]

It is by me too.  Last little bit of advice and then I won't bug you anymore.
You might be better off waiting for awhile and keeping your bow in a dry (like air conditioned) spot in your house before you start tillering it.  Glues like Titebond must have a lot of water in them which raises the moisture content of the wood. The MC on my cherry bark backed bow went from 9% to 14% from the TB3 I used.  And that's after putting it in a drying box for a day and a half.
Good luck with your bow.

[Knoll]

Will do.  Thanks!
Btw, in case (when) handle pops on this one, there's another (albeit with properly designed limb/fade intersection) waiting in the wings.  Wraps will come off it tomorrow eve.
Ya'll stay safe,
Michael

[DarkSoul]

Remove the wraps now. No need to wait longer than 24 hours to leaves any glue clamped. If you remove the wraps, the wood will lose excess moisture more easily as well.

[Knoll]

Remove the wraps now. No need to wait longer than 24 hours to leaves any glue clamped. If you remove the wraps, the wood will lose excess moisture more easily as well.

Got it.  24 hrs is approx how long 1st bow was wrapped.  On unwrapping, glue lines looked good.  So am using same ace bandage wrap technique for 2nd Perry reflexed bow and it'll be unwrapped sometime this eve.