To Curve Tips or Not

[Piddler]

Seem to have a lot of hickory projects going on. I too have one in the works and have a couple questions maybe you guys can be of help with. I'll post a couple pics if I can. tried this a few days ago and didn't have much luck. My photos are always distorted unless you open them. Anyway, it is 68" tip to tip. 1 3/4" at the fades straight taper down to 1/2" at tips. I do plan on narrowing tips to 3/8". the stave naturally reflexed when I worked it down,(been messing with it a while but things get in the way). one limb is not as reflexed as the other and seems a bit stiffer so planning on it being the bottom limb. Couple little inclusions on top limb but aren't very deep at all so not real concerned about them. have a little extra wood at the one by the fade. I heated the limbs once to kind of get them to match. Probably didn't get hot enough as I've lost a bit on the bottom limb. Plan on giving it another heat soon. Should be about ready to brace it. I haven't yet, been getting it bending pretty even on long string.
Main question: with the reflex that I have would it pay to try and put in some curves in the tips or would that over stress it with the bend it already has. If i did curve them it would be slight like the ones you guys have posted as of late and not sever as a couple others I've done. If I curve it I want to do it before I cut in string grooves as I cracked a couple there before. Second question. When I narrow the tips i was thinking of angling from 3/8 to whatever it is at 10". Is that enough or too much or not enough. Doesn't look like it will remove much wood at 10".
First photo is with bottom limb left. Second one is with bottom limb right
As always all input welcome.
Piddler

[Piddler]

Looks like only one attached. They are distorted and doesn't show like it should  so open the attachment it is not distorted as bad.

[superdav95]

Seem to have a lot of hickory projects going on. I too have one in the works and have a couple questions maybe you guys can be of help with. I'll post a couple pics if I can. tried this a few days ago and didn't have much luck. My photos are always distorted unless you open them. Anyway, it is 68" tip to tip. 1 3/4" at the fades straight taper down to 1/2" at tips. I do plan on narrowing tips to 3/8". the stave naturally reflexed when I worked it down,(been messing with it a while but things get in the way). one limb is not as reflexed as the other and seems a bit stiffer so planning on it being the bottom limb. Couple little inclusions on top limb but aren't very deep at all so not real concerned about them. have a little extra wood at the one by the fade. I heated the limbs once to kind of get them to match. Probably didn't get hot enough as I've lost a bit on the bottom limb. Plan on giving it another heat soon. Should be about ready to brace it. I haven't yet, been getting it bending pretty even on long string.
Main question: with the reflex that I have would it pay to try and put in some curves in the tips or would that over stress it with the bend it already has. If i did curve them it would be slight like the ones you guys have posted as of late and not sever as a couple others I've done. If I curve it I want to do it before I cut in string grooves as I cracked a couple there before. Second question. When I narrow the tips i was thinking of angling from 3/8 to whatever it is at 10". Is that enough or too much or not enough. Doesn't look like it will remove much wood at 10".
First photo is with bottom limb left. Second one is with bottom limb right
As always all input welcome.
Piddler

Piddler,   That looks like a nice straight piece of hickory.  If you have heated treated the belly you may want to reconsider curving the ends.  I’ve tried to steam in recurves after a mildly heat treated bow before with bad results.  Your results may vary depending on how much heat treat you’ve done to this point.  I usually do the recurves or flipped tips before any heat treatment.  Depending on how much heat you’ve put to it you may get away with it.  Just be prepared for the possibility of cracks developing  at the bends.  10” is lots for recurve or flipped tips.  I have done similar.   You could also do another heat treat session on the bow by clamping to a caul with the desired reflex you want in your limbs and flipped tips.  Again depending on how much heat you’ve done so far you may be able to do another heat session that incorporates the flipped tips.  This will match up the limbs as far as reflex and the flipped tips all in one go.  If you’ve got a caul made that has the recurves part of the caul/form mark off the middle of your bow and line it up wi the middle line of you caul.  Place the bow onto the form tip first and bend towards the middle and finish clamping rest of bow down.  Again this is all depending on the amount of reflex you are hoping to get and how much heat treatment has been applied to the belly especially near the tips you are looking to curve.  I’ve used such cauls to induce reflex and correct some twist get tips aligned with heat.  Best of luck. 

[Piddler]

Thanks for the comments Dave.
It has more natural reflex than the photo shows. Unless you open the attachment with the paperclip below the photo it doesn't show correctly. Guess I should get and use an image host site like some of you guys use. I'm not dead set on putting in any curving unless it would help some way. Main concern is that the additional curve would add too much stress with the already reflexed limbs. I've only given this one one heat treatment on the caul just to even them out. made the caul to pretty mech match the top limb. Wasn't a real aggressive heat though. If I flipped the tips some I would only curve about the last 4 inches or so and not 10. I've boiled in what few recurves I've done. Tried one with dry heat and broke it. Maybe didn't get hot enough or bent too quick not sure. I do need to give it another heat session, the bottom limb could use just a bit more bend to even with the top.
Other point is if I reduce tips from 1/2" to 3/8 how far should I carry the reduction angle thinking the last 6 or 10" and not the entire limb. Hope that wording makes sense.
Piddler

[Del the cat]

I agree with what's been said... I'd just add that you don't need string grooves if you put on a tip overlay, the groove is just in the overlay on the back of the bow. I don't see much point in cutting grooves in the side... after all if you can remove wood to cut a groove, you may as well just make the tip as narrow as the bottom of the groove and save weight. The is then on weak point to initiate a crack.
Del

[Piddler]

Thanks Del. I have some buffalo horn just for this purpose. May as well use some here.