Main Discussion Area > HowTo's and Build-a-longs
Curly BBO build along
bobnewboy:
Hi Radius,
Yep, that was pretty much it. As many others have posted in the PA forum, osage bends well with heat. The wood springs back a certain amount once cooled, so the resulting deflex is not as pronounced as in the picture, but it is there. If the blocks are symmetically organised, the wood forms into a natural curve around the blocks when heat is applied evenly in the handle area. I did not include any glued-in Perry reflex in this bow, since the wood and backing will be stressed enough as it is.
I should point out that I'm making this up as I go along - it is my first piece of seriously bent wood. I am going on info gleaned from this forum, TBB1-4 etc etc. Half the fun is wondering what the bow will come out like.
Stan, the bow still meets the PV rules, even the proposed new set. >:D But we will have to see. Maybe I'll add siyahs to make it more primitive ;D
On Sunday I began a lot more floor tillering, because the bow as it came from glue-up out was probably at 100+ lbs at what would be a low brace height. Waaay too much osage for the intended draw weight, but it is always easier to lose weight than gain it. I think that this is also partly due to the fact that osage is edge grain from belly to back (??). I've been scraping like mad, and although the bow now bends by hand :o , it is still too much weight, probably about 60lbs at brace.
More scraping, bending, pics and text to come. Fingers crossed.
radius:
i've bent osage before, too, but only by cutting it into bendable thicknesses and lamming them together in different forms. I just didn't think of pre-bending it, then adding the heat to make it stay. You really are making this up on the fly! That's how i roll too...
backgardenbowyer:
Bob,
Whatever class we call it, this is going to be a first class bow if it all holds up (and I sincerely hope it does)! What weight are you aiming for? I'm assuming nothing too high as there are going to be a lot of stresses and strains in there....
Stan
bobnewboy:
Hi Stan,
I hope it does hold up, but wont be too upset if it doesnt - that's the learning process isnt it ;) There has been a little creaking when working on it, but I'm unsure if that's my old bones or the bow - I've worked my way up to stringing at a low brace, but even that is difficult to achieve without both arms, both legs and a table right now......
I'm hoping for 50lb @ 28". That seems to be a reasonable limit for me and our field archery - no ribcages to burst through in the UK. Thus far I've left the limb tips quite thick, and instead of thinning them I hope to be able to use them (narrowed) as sort of integrated siyahs. I havent had much opportunity to work on the bow recently, because of the wonderful Engllish summer we are getting (I'm a back garden bowyer too!), but I will post more when weather and work allow.
bobnewboy:
Hi All,
Managed to get a little time in working on the bow last night. After a load more scraping, the bow is bending a little at last ;D The osage shavings are up to my ankles!
The following pictures are the bow finally braced (gasp!) at a low brace of about 3". The other shot is the bow bending on the pulley tiller. It is pulled to 52lb at about 17" right now, so going in the right direction, but still a long way to go yet.
I'm hoping to get some more scraping done tomorrow, but as always I'm hoping for better weather than today :-\
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