Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: SebastianArc on March 17, 2021, 07:42:29 am

Title: Recurve tip alignment
Post by: SebastianArc on March 17, 2021, 07:42:29 am

I’m some what new here, I used to post here as well as paleoplanet back in the 00s as Sebbishop. I’ve been bitten by the bow making bug again after some years! Here is my problem, after adding some recurves into my deflexed Scottish yew bow stave, one tip got quite a bit out of alignment. Any tips on how to straighten this out!

Good to be back!

Title: Re: Recurve tip alignment
Post by: PatM on March 17, 2021, 08:33:25 am

Welcome back, kid.

 Your best bet is to to clamp the bow back in the caul and move the tip into line with heat.

Title: Re: Recurve tip alignment
Post by: Del the cat on March 17, 2021, 08:54:29 am

Yew responds well to steam or dry heat bending.
Loads of posts on steam bending on my blog "Bowyers Diary"
This one shows a sideways correction:-
https://bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/2019/11/multiple-projects.html
Del

Title: Re: Recurve tip alignment
Post by: bjrogg on March 17, 2021, 11:45:35 am

I have never used yew but I hear it bends like butter with heat.

I would probably clamp recurve back on caul trying to center it. Then reheat the area it dog legs and try to center it on the caul and clamp it.

Sometimes for minor adjustments I use a caul that is the center section of bow and limbs that end before the recurves.

I sometimes clamp the center of bow on caul and then heat and tweak the recurve and transition to recurve with dry heat and a pipe I slide over the tip I can use as a lever to move tips. Then I hold in place until it cools down.

Bjrogg

Title: Re: Recurve tip alignment
Post by: gutpile on March 17, 2021, 12:24:48 pm

I have a ERC bow that I just recurved doing the exact same thing.. being that it is such a big alignment issue ( about 2 inch of twist ) I am going to steam mine.. if it was a small correction I would use dry heat... I will steam it for an hour at the point where the twist starts running and about 10 inches down mid limb put it in a vise and use leather to protect bow and use a pipe wrench around limb to correct...I hope to get it done in one session.. i will have to hold it for a spell till it cools.. but it will cool quickly... after the major correction any minor can be done with dry heat.. but I will have to wait for the wood to stabilize before I can put any dry heat on it.. I dont want to create any checks... good luck on your project brother... gut

Title: Re: Recurve tip alignment
Post by: SebastianArc on March 17, 2021, 06:29:54 pm

Cheers for the advise guys! Hopefully will sort it this weekend!

Title: Re: Recurve tip alignment
Post by: gutpile on March 22, 2021, 10:22:33 am

I ended up dry heating mine and got the tips aligned.. ... gut