2019 Bow Trade - Sign up closed

[Bayou Ben]

Looks good Mike 
I agree with your assessment of the inner/mid lower, but I don't think it will take all that much to even it out. 

[Stickhead]

Well, my plan A is still intact, but mighty weird.  (Got a yew stave on deck just in case.)  All curves are natural.  Nobody in their right mind would bend a stave like this on purpose.  So far, it fits together nicely, it’s pretty symmetrical, and a long string lines up in the center.  It floor tillers okay so far, and I’m proceeding slowly to hopefully head off twisty bending.

[hoosierf]

Cool 2 piece stick, Stick!  I like that one.

[sleek]

Ohhh man, you are going to wish one of two things,  1: you had straightend thesideways bend, or 2: you hadnt recurved it...  There is no way that is going to live a long life.

Im being negative
Im being honest.
Im being blunt.

You got to fix one of those things.
Now im being helpful

[Stickhead]

Sleek - I didn’t recurve it.  It grew that way.  Actually, I’ve never had much luck bending ERC, I’m just trying to make this one work the way it grew.  It’s a long shot, but we’ll see.

[sleek]

Sleek - I didn’t recurve it.  It grew that way.  Actually, I’ve never had much luck bending ERC, I’m just trying to make this one work the way it grew.  It’s a long shot, but we’ll see.

Those curves will torque the limb sideways so bad it will split radially. Is there absolutely NO WAY to straighten the limbs?

[Stickhead]

Well, I’m open for advice, but I don’t know how to bend ERC that much.

[sleek]

Never tried myself. Try making a different thread asking? My onlu idea is to bend it straight under force and glue a backing on to keep it straight.

[jeffp51]

It should bend like juniper. Wrap a small wet towel around it, then aluminum foil. Heat it with a heat gun and slowly tighten clamps until straight. Might take a couple sessions, but it should work at least some. I cut slots in a couple pieces of 2x4 to keep the limbs from twisting.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I don't believe you will ever get it straight, Tom. Id suggest leaving it be and just file in a top groove only on your over lays so the string loop can float around wherever it needs to. If I did anything I may flatten the tips out just a bit and get rid of some the torque, but that is something you can do later if it gives you fits with a string on it.

[maitus]

As much Your bow looks crazy, i give You a crazy advice too . Bandsaw this bow for three even parts from tip to the handle. Like a chicken leg, steem bend them together to stright, leave in form to dry and then glue them back together and add a backing . I just have no idea does the glue line can bend in that way or not. But why it shouldnt....

[Stickhead]

I think I’m with Pearly.  I’ve got a plan to line up the tips with overlays, and I’m hoping to tiller it thicker on the inside arcs to fight twist.  This stuff really hates to heat-bend.  I’m still pessimistic, but at least this’ll be an interesting experiment.

[Stickhead]

And we’re on to Plan B.  Looks like I shaved too much of the back off fitting it into the copper sleeve.  But it may have been doomed from the start.  Time to get to work on my yew stave.

[DC]

I've seen so many pictures like that. It makes me wonder why people make take downs.

[sleek]

Sorry to see that happened to you.  As an aside, am i the only one who saw that and could smell the cedar?