Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: IrishJay on October 27, 2021, 08:52:21 pm
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I'm finishing up rough out on this 74" apple stave. Limbs are 1 7/8" wide only tapering in the last 7". It has natural deflex in it, and I can't makeup my mind if I want to try to heat it out or leave it be.
Thoughts?
(https://i.imgur.com/DWNeU2q.jpg)
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I'd probably heat it out, but I usually heat treat and add reflex anyway so up to you. 74" by 1 7/8"? you making a war bow? or something with a super long draw?
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Going for 55-60# @ 31".
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Narrower it or shorten it a little. Apple is premium bow wood and doesn't need to be so big :)
Persoanlly I'd heat it out but be careful apple will check in a heartbeat :)
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Apple is the easiest wood of all to heat-bend, it will take very little heat to take that out. A word of caution, grown-in deflex can be very difficult to deal with as the wood really really really wants to be that shape and the heat treatment can pull straight out as soon as you start flexing it. It can be more effective to reflex a different part of the limb and live with the character
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Deflex reduces a bows strain at full draw and can be a good tool to use if you are working an unfamiliar wood, or really want a bow to survive. I'd leave the deflex personally.
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As always, the feedback is much appreciated. Just to guve everyone a better idea of what I'm thinking of doing, I was going to use this form. I'd leave the handle section alone and apply clamps to the outer limbs only. And, only tighten the clamps enough to pull the tips about .5" forward of the handle.
(https://i.imgur.com/X9F8FXo.jpg)
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I would take it out in a heartbeat, a deflexed place in a reflexed or a straight limb is an anomaly you have to tiler around, it will always look like you have a hinge in the limb there.
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Honestly, id take out that reflexed area and make the entire stave a deflex. The reflex looks like the anomaly in that stave.
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I've had some durability issues with my past bows, with only 2 still being shootable. So with this one I wanted to get back to basics with a simple, wide, over built longbow. Durability and simplicity over speed for this build. That being said I dont want it to be a total dog either. The only reason I'm worried about the deflex is that I'm afraid that with the extreme length and width it may make it too slow.
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Thats it too wide, bit long, but too wide, nah.
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I would definitely heat that out!
Maybe this is helpful for you (look at dimensions): http://primitive-bows.com/86-apple-flatbow-tutti-frutti-7028-no-86/
good luck!
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Thats it too wide, bit long, but too wide, nah.
apple can be made to similar dimension to osage. It is dense, hard and very elastic.
Trust me leaving it 1 3/4 wide is highly unlikely to be necessary, especially with some deflex....
so too long, too wide and deflexed....;)
Of course you can alter (reduce) these dimensions as you go but starting somewhere close to where you will likely end up is helpful :)