Bending Recurves

[Jmilbrandt]

I just finished my first recurve a while ago and I had a lot of trouble with them. It was on a hackberry bow and I was going for 45 degree static recurves I worked the belly down to one ring and used a metal strap. But on both recurves the belly cracked. I'm thinking that I just didn't bend them fast enough the tips were plenty thin enough. So my question is how fast do you do the bend once you have it out of the heat. Being my first recurve I went kind of slow because I was scared of breaking them but I still did it in less then 30 seconds.

[Dano]

I take it this was a cured stave that you steamed the recurves. If so, normal, most will leave the curves plenty wide to rasp away the drying checks.

[0209]

MIght I make a suggestion.  Before jumping in head first into recurving your bow, take a sample piece of the bow wood itself that is long enough, and steam recurve it.  Also, I find that boiling the tips of your bow for roughly 45 minutes - 1 hour works wonderfully for applying a recurve.  Thats how I did my sage recurve (of course she ended up exploding on me), but rest assured, it was at the fadeout, not the recurve.  Also, dont go so radical on your first one, work your way up to higher degree curves.  Anyways, hopefully that helped.
Best Regards,
-Ian Mittelberg

[Jmilbrandt]

The bow is done now the recurves worked out ok, I was able to rasp away the cracks. Also it was cured and I boiled the tips for 1/2 hour. Do they normally crack like that even if it's done right? There is no better way to do it?

[kiltedcelt]

Did you place a metal strip across the belly of the bow as you were bending it over your form? The first time I tried a recurve I had sheet metal strips on my form but they weren't long enough. You need to actually have the metal piece be way longer than the radius of your curve and you need to clamp it to the bow limb before you begin the bend. I boiled my tips for I think something like 30 to 45 minutes, took the bow out of the kettle and placed into my form, clamped down the metal strap tight and then started bending. I was able to do the bend all in one shot. I did get a crack on one limb but that was because there was a screwy whoop-de-do in the grain so it wasn't the best piece to use for making a bow to begin with. I too broke my bow on the fade during tillering as Ian mentioned happened to him. If you have The Traditional Bowyer's Bible books Volume 2 has a whole chapter on recurves and another chapter on bending bow wood. It's helpful to read them both several times before starting. Also, if you have a big enough kettle you can boil the whole thing - bow tip in the form with clamps, sheet metal, and everything. Much easier. You would need a huge kettle though - probably turkey fryer size or larger. I just used the biggest pasta pot I had (3 gallons I think) which worked for boiling the whole tip but not wouldn't hold the form or clamps so I really had to work fast.

[Badger]

Really surprised to hear that the hackberry cracked, hackberry is the most bendable of all american woods. It will bend into the tightest radius. Might not have boiled it long enough. I never even use pressure strips when bending hackberry byt I do make sure only one ring is on the belly side of the bend. Steve

[Jmilbrandt]

I just must not have done it fast enough because I boiled the tips for 30 minutes each and I used a saw blade for the strip and clamped it on the bow so it tightened when I bent it. I also worked it down to one growth ring on the belly and read and re read the bowers bible 2 chapter on recurves. I am thinking it just cooled before I could bend completely. Oh well it was a learning experience I guess. At least I didn't ruin the bow.

[Staver]

I only have a little experience with this.  But my experience was: I steamed some tips on one osage bow for 30 minutes over a pot of boiling water with foil over the top and just turned the tips up resulting in some cracks in the belly of one of the limbs.  The tips were about 1/2" thick when I steamed them.  I did this again to add recurves on another osage bow but this time I steamed the tips for 45 minutes and the limbs bent like putty!  Also, the limb tips were about 1/2" thick.  I really feel that that extra 15 minutes was the trick.   That's my 2 cents.  Joe H

[sulphur]

One thing not mentioned is temprature.  All wate boils at 212 degrees but it will continue to get hotter as it boils.  if i try to bend tips on my glass cook range it doesn't work so good, if i try it on my grill it works great.  just a thought.  btw still waiting to see that bad boy!!

[Jmilbrandt]

Sorry sulphur I just have been real lazy lately when it comes to finishing the bow, sanding and finishing is my least favorite part. So I just started another one instead. But I will try to get it done soon.

[Justin Snyder]

I am with Steve on this one. The wood bends good, it just needed to be heated longer.  I hate boiling, I think steam works faster since it is the hottest that water can get.  Hold the bow just above the pan then place a piece of tin foil over the pan and the wood to hold the heat and steam in. Justin

[sulphur]

jmil,  i totally understand.  in fact after your questions it got me wanting to make another one.  its ready for final tillering and sandering.  cant wait to see yours though.

[Jmilbrandt]

Thanks for your help guys I will try heating the tips longer on the next one, I will also try steaming instead.