Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on November 13, 2018, 09:06:03 am

Title: Nodes and recurves
Post by: DC on November 13, 2018, 09:06:03 am

I decided that this bow would have a one piece boo back. Without thinking it through I ended up with this on both ends. Is this going to haunt me? Do you think it will bend? It's going to get worse as I reflex it at glue up and the back gets longer in relation to the belly. Should I make it a two piece back and slide them in, I have the length?

Title: Re: Nodes and recurves
Post by: BowEd on November 13, 2018, 09:44:33 am

It might very well work to heat and bend the bamboo to conform to your curve prior to glue up.Otherwise I'd save it for a straight tipped bow.A dry run lay out of spacing your nodes catchs this.

Title: Re: Nodes and recurves
Post by: Bayou Ben on November 13, 2018, 10:11:23 am

Yep I agree with Ed.  I would heat bend the boo before glue up as that's a pretty tight bend.  And if you didn't already know, when you heat bamboo the edges will cup, so leave a little extra thickness than final so you can sand it back flat again.  I would do what I had to do to get that node out of the middle of the bend. 

Title: Re: Nodes and recurves
Post by: DC on November 13, 2018, 10:25:26 am

I had done a dry run and then as I was putting in the recurves I discovered that the bow was a little long and without thinking I moved the recurves in an inch. Elderly moment or moment of stupidity ;D. I'll check my other strips of boo and see if they are better. I hesitate to try and bend that node backward like that. It will also make the bow difficult to brace with that lump there.

PS I found a piece of boo that fits properly. Problem solved.

I've noticed that it cups so I'm prepared for that. I also noticed that boo bends way better with dry heat than it does with steam.

Thanks guys

Title: Re: Nodes and recurves
Post by: PatM on November 13, 2018, 10:51:14 am

You can bend it with heat and even compress the node a bit.  It wouldn't have been a problem.

Title: Re: Nodes and recurves
Post by: DC on November 13, 2018, 11:14:06 am

Good to know Pat but I think I'll go with the new strip of boo. I think pushing the string over that lump every time I braced it would get to me after, oh, 3 or 4 times. :D

Title: Re: Nodes and recurves
Post by: leonwood on November 14, 2018, 12:35:14 pm

You could have sanded te node flat in that spot, being so close to the tip it would not have been a problem. I usually pre-bend the boo with a heat gun and then sand the whole curve as thin as possible, this really helps with the glue up.

Title: Re: Nodes and recurves
Post by: DC on November 14, 2018, 01:12:19 pm

That may be worth a try. That piece of backing is up on the rack waiting.

Title: Re: Nodes and recurves
Post by: sleek on November 14, 2018, 01:36:07 pm

If the tips ar static, cut the back just to the edge of the curve and do a decorative wrap to finish it off.

Title: Re: Nodes and recurves
Post by: PatM on November 14, 2018, 03:04:53 pm

That is one spot where reducing the node is fine.