Anyone ever build a plains-gullwing style bow?

[Sidewinder]

I've never tried a gullwing bow but I've always wondered if they made gullwings because the branch/limb was growing that way and they made a bow out of it. Just used what was already there naturally. I have seen many grow that way around here, especially in osage. Thought about cutting one and trying it, just never have. I guess the question then becomes do you use the tension side or the compression side. It would be interesting to see if it would work.

[bradsmith2010]

this would be my concern or I would be thinking about this,,
if you bend too much deflex in the limbs,, when your back set starts to bend out,, your tips of the bow might be behind the handle a bit,, making it shoot like a bit too much string follow,, or slow,,if the appearance of the bow is your main goal ok,, but if you want it to shoot at least as good as a straight limb bow,, say 160 fps with a 10 gpp arrow,, it wont be able to do that with the tips too far back of the handle,,
ok,, maybe shoot it a bit before bending the deflex,, so you know how much of the handle reflex is gonna come out,, that way you dont over do it,,

[IrishJay]

Limb profile with the deflex added mid-limb, hand is still backset 2" from the tip. Please ignore the messy glue job on the riser block, all will be made right with some sandpaper.

[bassman]

The tillering process will put all the deflex you want in the bow.As said above if you end up no set, some back set or a little string follow be happy with that.Go slow when you first get it on the long string. You will end up with a bow with a  bigger belly than normal to get proper brace height. If it finishes up right it still makes a nice bow.

[IrishJay]

Well here it is with all of the heat forming complete. The handle is 2.5" backset from the forward-most part of the limb curve, which is 15" in from the tips. From the tips, the handle is 1.75" backset. The limb tips are ever so slightly angled back toward the shooter.  I'll probably start tillering in the next day or so, I'll keep you all posted on what kind of set it takes and how it holds the shaping.

[PatM]

You killed it with the riser block.  The handle needs to move to be authentic. Looks like you removed a good deal of the stave to make it flat there too.

[IrishJay]

Yeah that was done purely out of necessity, as I got some cracking in the handle area when I bent it.

[IrishJay]

It's on the tree, after the first few pulls to 50# I lost about 3/16" of backset from the forward curve of the limb to the back of the handle, in the subsequent 20 or so pulls, tillering from 50# @ 10" to 50# @18", I haven't lost any more.

[bradsmith2010]

you really wont know much till you string it and tiller and pull to full draw 100 plus times,,

[IrishJay]

Yeah, I'm just taking it slow and being very careful of where I remove wood to keep it bending evenly along the curvature that I shaped into it. The tips already seem to have taken more set than the midlimb area, so I'll just keep it slow and see where she ends up.

[SLIMBOB]

Made more of this design than any other I would guess.  Sweet shooters.  I agree with Pat in that the handle should flex a bit.

[IrishJay]

She's finally braced. I've been taking tiller very slowly on this one to get things bending in all the right places and keep as much of the gullwing shape as possible. Worked the long string out to 50# @ 29.5" then shortened the string up a bit and repeated until I got down to shooting string length. The pic is 4" brace height with zero twist in the string. Unbraced the handle is 2" backset from the midlimb curves and about 1.25" from tips to handle.

[DC]

Could we see an unbraced picture?

[IrishJay]

Here you go, one unbraced pic.

[bradsmith2010]

Have u drawn the bow with short string to see the weight