Author Topic: Osage complex composite recurve  (Read 13275 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Marc St Louis

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 7,869
  • Keep it flexible
    • Marc's Bows and Arrows
Osage complex composite recurve
« on: January 29, 2011, 01:57:05 pm »
I started this bow about 7 years ago.  Initially it was a sinew backed Black Cherry recurve, I thought that a sinew backing would take some stress from the Cherry and it wouldn't chrysal as readily.  I was wrong.  The Cherry started to chrysal badly as I was getting to full draw.  I had done 4 courses of sinew on this bow and I didn't want to waste all that work so I decided to work the belly down and remove much of the Black Cherry then I glued on a strip of Osage.  This made the bow a sinew backed Osage with a Cherry core.  The bow was giving me more trouble than I cared for at the time so I shelved it, probably in favour of another projext.  A couple weeks ago I was looking at it hanging from my ceiling and decided to give it another go.  The Osage had turned quite dark from age and so had the Cherry.  I started work on it and it actually didn't take too long to finish tillering the bow out, I guess I had done most of it before I shelved it.

The bow is 60" long with limbs 1 3/8" wide and pulls 53# @ 28".  I've shot it with 600 grain arrows and it spits them out there pretty good.  It maintains about 5" of reflex after shooting so braced string tension is pretty high.  Here's some pics







I made this bow at the time I was making kerfed recurves.  You can see the kerf line in this next picture.  I was also trapping the back of the recurves, which you can also see



You can also see how I glued the Osage belly on in the next couple pictures






All in all I am quite pleased with the way it turned out.  The lower limb is a bit stiff coming out of the fade but the Osage has issues there so I did that on purpose to keep the stress down.
« Last Edit: January 27, 2018, 08:35:01 pm by Marc St Louis »
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com

Offline Sidewinder

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,946
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2011, 02:05:55 pm »
Marc you are a Master Bowyer. Great story on how you saved that one and gave it new life. Thanks for sharing. It certainly shows the rest of us what is possible.  Danny   
"You know a tree by the fruit it bears"   God

Offline n2huntn

  • Member
  • Posts: 468
  • jeff_smith13@hotmail.com ROLL TIDE !
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2011, 02:06:45 pm »
That is quite a bow and offers many ideas.
Jeff
Genesis 27: 3

Offline toomanyknots

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,132
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2011, 03:20:16 pm »
Amazing bow. So the sinew has pretty much been seasoning for 7 years? Plus the wood seasoning for 7 years?  ;D
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline gstoneberg

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,889
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2011, 06:52:01 pm »
Now that is slick, I love it.

George
St Paul, TX

Offline dragonman

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,142
    • virabows.co.uk
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2011, 06:59:32 pm »
Nice bow Marc, what kind of speeds do think it is shooting?

Its often the way if you have a problem, leave things alone and come back to them later and you can see the right thing to do, looks like it worked this time!
'expansion and compression'.. the secret of life is to balance these two opposing forces.......

Offline ken75

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,886
  • crepe myrtle is my "yella wood"
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2011, 07:28:10 pm »
tiller is perfect , nice save

Offline Marc St Louis

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 7,869
  • Keep it flexible
    • Marc's Bows and Arrows
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2011, 08:21:12 pm »
Thanks guys

Yes this bow has been seasoning for about 7 years.

This bow is easily shooting 10 GPP in the 180's.  I may try and chrono it but it's pretty hard to do in my shop and it's to bloody cold with too much snow outside
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com

Offline bcbull

  • Member
  • Posts: 541
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2011, 10:28:58 pm »
looks  great marc  there s hope  bows have 9 lives ha  brock

Offline Marc St Louis

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 7,869
  • Keep it flexible
    • Marc's Bows and Arrows
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2011, 09:07:50 pm »
Thanks guys

The Osage I used was some scrap pieces I had left over from another project, they were worth saving
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com

Offline Michael C.

  • Member
  • Posts: 576
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2011, 10:45:07 pm »
woah sweet osage
"Friendship makes prosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it."

Cicero

Offline beetlebailey1977

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,153
    • Bowhunters of South Carolina
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2011, 10:47:00 pm »
Thanks for sharing this...I really like the recurves.  It does look like a great shooter.
Happy hunting to all!
Bowhunters of South Carolina Executive council member
Professional Bowhunters Society Associate member

Reevesville, SC     James V. Bailey II

Offline Bullitt

  • Member
  • Posts: 205
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2011, 11:11:35 pm »
Wow Mark! Who'd of thought those 3 would work good together!

You! ;D

Offline sharpend60

  • Member
  • Posts: 355
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #13 on: January 31, 2011, 01:33:49 am »
Very nice.

Must be satisfying to to get that one off your plate.

Offline Pappy

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 31,875
  • if you have to ask you wouldn't understand ,Tenn.
Re: Osage complex composite recurve
« Reply #14 on: January 31, 2011, 07:06:05 am »
Beautiful bow Marc,great save.Bet it's fast to boot. :)
   Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good