red oak handle bend

[youngbowyer33]

im making a red oak board bow, its 64" long and is about 2" wide at the handle and tapers to a little more than half an inch at the ends, and i want to glue on a handle.But when i do my long string tillering the handle is bending slightly, so i think if i put on a handle it will just pop off, will it?is there anything i can do to stop it from popping off, or is it just too short or something like that for a bow that doesn't bend in the handle?any thoughts would be great, and appreciated, thanks in advance

[Pat B]

Keep tillering your bow. The closer you get to tiller the less the handle area should bend. If, at your draw weight, the handle area still bends (you will feel it in your hand) use leather, cork or thin strips of wood to make your handle riser. These will bend with the bow to an extent.

[radius]

you wanna get the bending forces away from the center of your bow right away.  Go midlimb and get to work.  Generally i try to get the inner 3/5 of each limb bending in a smooth arc and then work toward the fades and the tips.

[adb]

For me, I think it's always a good idea to start out making a bow with a specific goal in mind. If you want a bow with a glued on riser, and non-bending handle, start out with that in mind. We are sometimes steered off track, but try and stick with your original plan. I've been where you are, and it's frustrating.

[islandpiper]

Try this:   Fit your handle thickeners, do all the filing and scraping and sanding till you like the size, layout and feel.  Then....on the belly side, saw several kerfs back to the original bow, only in the new handle section.  I'm guessing here, since i can't see your bow....make the kerfs an inch apart.  THEN.....cover the handle area with the leather of your choice , nothing too thick.  Now, the bow will still bend in the handle, the short sections will stay put and the leather cover will hide it all and not let the kerfs pinch you. 


piper

[gmc]

Good advice above and this won't help with your current situation but it may help with your next project. Leaving extra wood in the handle area will take stress off your handle. Here's an example of a red oak bow with what I'm describing. It only takes a few handles to blow off to have you searching for a better way. Hope this helps, Greg.

[radius]

For me, I think it's always a good idea to start out making a bow with a specific goal in mind. If you want a bow with a glued on riser, and non-bending handle, start out with that in mind. We are sometimes steered off track, but try and stick with your original plan. I've been where you are, and it's frustrating.

adb is right:  with board bows especially, it is easy to make the wood conform to your vision for a bow. 

[George Tsoukalas]

The handle should be glued on from the beginning. It should rest on the board which should begin the taper. Hard to explain but gmc's pic shows it great. Nice pic, gmc. If it pops we can pin it with dowels. Jawge