New project: Hornbeam "lever bow"

[FilipT]

This is just to show off what I am working on currently. Bow was brought today to very rough dimensions and left to dry in the attic. After a month or so it will be put in my room on radiator.
It is from European Hornbeam and I must say that is the most difficult and unpleasant wood I have ever worked with, also first time I have been using it.

It has such a difficult grain, many hidden weird looking knots inside the wood, some black super hard spots and so on. Also to remove the bark was pain in the butt because of uneven wood underneath the bark. Pretty sure my draw knife did some violations but nothing major, just some tiny cuts which were impossible to avoid even though I was super gentle and slow.

Bow is supposed to be heavy in draw weight and to have recurved lever tips. Any advice on what method, steam or dry heat for those who worked with that wood???
It is 70" nock to nock.

Here are some pictures:

Front profile


Belly side


Lever closeup


Handle and fades


Limb


Ready for drying

[JW_Halverson]

Well, now! This could get very interesting!

I'm listening....

[Danzn Bar]

Look'n good so far........Can't wait to see it bending.  I'm going to keep an eye on this one...
DBar

[FilipT]

This thread will not get any further activity till November. Its green and put to dry. I hoped I could ask some questions here regarding these kind of bows.
I left limb thickness constant and 22 mm thick, not sure if that is too thick. If I had go thinner, my side profile would automatically reduce itself as this hornbeam sapling had radius just enough for me to trace the design onto it.

Btw, have you JW or DBar ever built this "mollegabet" style bows?

[JW_Halverson]

I have always held back from this design, something about the lever scares me.

[bubby]

I have built quite a few of these and molly recurves it's a good design for a bow

[FilipT]

Should I use steam or dry heat for levers?

[Danzn Bar]

Btw, have you JW or DBar ever built this "mollegabet" style bows?

Yeah....I've built a few.....check out my past posts....here's a couple...

[Danzn Bar]

And another......

[Danzn Bar]

Should I use steam or dry heat for levers?

I used dry heat................but I was using osage not hornbeam....I don't have a lot of experience with hornbeam. but as long as it is wood it will give a little to heat...
DBar

[Danzn Bar]

Bubby has built a few sweet looking mollies tooo.  Check out his past post also...
DBar

[mullet]

Dry heat will work with Hornbeam. And it smells good.

[mikekeswick]

Steam will work too. It depends on how severe you want you curves. Steam for tighter / dry heat for shallower curves.

[FilipT]

@DBar
They are amazing! Especially the first, even though I like the recurves of the second just a bit more. How much thicker your levers are then the limb thickness? I am interested at what thickness levers stop bending.

@mullet
Keep in mind that is European Hornbeam, not hophornbeam which isn't at all connected to it. Just a note if you thought maybe that is HHB. If not, just disregard this.

@Mike
Probably will use steam, even have more experience with it, also I want more pronounced curves like the second bow DBar posted.

@All
Does these kind of bows have constant limb thickness or some taper. Can't seem to figure it out when looking at photos. Doesn't really matter though, on tiller it will need just more work.

[PatM]

@mullet
Keep in mind that is European Hornbeam, not hophornbeam which isn't at all connected to it. Just a note if you thought maybe that is HHB. If not, just disregard this.

Your Hornbeam is  basically the same tree as our Blue Beech(American Hornbeam).

  HHB and Hornbeam actually are related.