I messed up a recurve bow, in a very stupid way...

[BoltBows]

This is a classic.

I was building a black locust recurve as a side project. Not in a hurry, nothing particular in mind.
The bow is built out of two perfectly straight, thick ringed billets that I cut out of a 2'' thick, quarter sawn board.
So I boiled and bent the recurves, joined the billets together and glued a little deflex in the handle.
Then I started tillering up to brace height and kept it on the heavy side. When I was contend with the braced bow it was time to do a proper heat treat.
So I put the bow on the heater and with a dangerously self-pleased smile I thought this was going to be a walk in the park from there...

But then the phone rang...

YES I picked it up and YES I walked off... Please, don't even ask.

When I walked back into that workshop the scent of burning wood greeted my smug face and I knew...
This was a classic! Messing your bow up at the easiest part thanks to your own smugness!
Anyway I admit being angry for a minute, but then started laughing loudly at myself. And as my uncle would put it I thought: 'Let's just put this in my showcase with all the other brilliant failures.'
So I left it in the workshop for a few days but eventually I picked it up to see if it could become a decent bow.
After scraping off the charcoal the bow still felt decently powerful so I tillered it, shot it and still am happily surprised with how much abuse this wood can take.
Normally with black locust it's over after such a mistake. Chrysals will appear and you know you're doomed. but this half-burnt piece still shoots and won't take set.
After this ...fiasco... I don't think I'll have to explain why I put a dark stain on there...

If you got this far: Thanks for reading! Here are the stats:
- NTN length:              65''
- Draw weight:            43lbs
- Draw length:            28''
- String(s):                 10 strand Spectra 652
- Nocks:                     Water buffalo horn
- Inlay:                      Cow horn
- Stain:                      Osage/ammonia
- Finish:                     Tung oil
- Arrows:                    11/32 spruce shafts, barreled to 17/64 both ends. 50gn points

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Cheers,

Jaap

[Zugul]

I'd love to mess a bow up like that and still get a magnificent result as you did! Love everything about it, from the colour to the shape of the limbs.

[RyanY]

Love the subtle deflex in that unbraced shape. Glad it worked out!

[Gimlis Ghost]

Looks great.

[TimmyDeNorCal]

Um, that is 1 gorgeous bow there!!

And it looks like it survived...so far! Once you have arrow #300 or so I think it will be safe to say it is a survivor. 

[Hamish]

It looks great. Maybe you have stumbled on a special heat treat/tempering method?

When I read the title I was sure you were going to tell us that you bent the recurves the wrong way. Excellent result in the end.

[Gimlis Ghost]

A couple of months back I ran across a video on stone age Britian. They found several well preserved primitive spears. I was surprised at how much those spears resembled roughed out long bow staves, even more or less flat and tapered at each end like limbs of bows.
There were no stone points or indications they were ever fitted with points, so these were probably simple fire hardened stabbing spears.
They looked to have been split from a log rather that hewn from saplings or small trees.

I think this shows a natural progression in developing skills later used to make bows.

Since a good source for long splits of tree trunks would be from lightning stuck trees they may have found that partly burned wood could yield a tough springy shaft and a hard sharp point when carefully scraped down..
Later when they discovered bow making they would likely have started a bow stave using the same methods earlier used for making spears. They certainly learned to fire harden simple arrow tips and nocks.

[bownarra]

Um, that is 1 gorgeous bow there!!

And it looks like it survived...so far! Once you have arrow #300 or so I think it will be safe to say it is a survivor. 

I wouldn't......i've had 2 absolute screamer b/locust recurves shoot many, many arrows for well over a year. then for 'no reason' both popped a splinter and exploded....never count your chickens! Both bows were strikingly similar to this one!
However I hope your bow shoots as well as it looks for many years to come! Good save!

[Bamboo-Bows]

What a great way to 'mess up' your bow. Hah! Great result. I wonder who was calling you on the phone, maybe you should do that more often 

[Del the cat]

Nice... could have bent the recurves in opposite directions if if you really wanted to mess up  
(Not that I've ever done anything like that  )
Del

[Parnell]

Interesting to see how some of the work lately has flattened angled features.  Your nocks are interesting and I like the details of the bow.  Beautiful shape, Jaap.  I enjoyed the story!

Parnell

[Don W]

My stupid mistakes usually end up as firewood. That is a great looking mistake. Did you name it something like "blunder-bust"?

[gutpile]

nice mess up...lol came out super sweet brother...gut

[Stixnstones]

Nice recovery on a fantastic looking bow. Those tips are sweet and that inlay is awesome...

[WhistlingBadger]

Very nice, and great story.  No blood, no foul.