Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Doug509 on November 27, 2025, 01:22:41 pm
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Looking for ideas on what to do with a highly reflexed 74" ocean spray stave. Upper limb on right is reflexed 6" lower limb 9". I was considering reflexing the handle with steam to deflex limbs and make a reflex deflex bow. Or should i leave as is and get tillering with no changes.
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I would deflex the handle. It would be very unstable with all that reflex
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... I was considering reflexing the handle with steam to deflex limbs and make a reflex deflex bow. ...
Guess you ment to say deflexing here??
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I would deflex the handle. It would be very unstable with all that reflex
What he says ;D
Plus, with that much reflex, it will be hell's own job to brace it, and then it may end up under weight because it's been worked down so much just to brace it.
Del
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On an overly reflexed stave, I get out my heat gun and take most of the reflex out, I may leave 2-3 inches.
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Thanks for your suggestions. I did use a heat gun on left/lower limb, 20" from the handle. Now both limbs are equally reflexed now and the handle is 5" below the tips. When I study the stave, I'm thinking a 5 curve bow could be possible? The limbs are 25 to 30 mm wide, maybe too narrow for a 5 curve?
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I have some ocean spray but haven’t built one yet, so I’m waiting to see how your bow turns out. I you have a nice size stave, which is hard to find.
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This could be a good candidate for a deflex reflex. Just use steam on inners and get it into a deflex there and leave the kids and outers alone. Heck you could even flip the tips too.
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Decided to keep it simple and steam bend the handle a couple inches. Should make a nice deflex reflex. Still sitting in the caul this morning getting acclimated.
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Out of the caul and looking pretty good. I need to taper the tips into knocks and then check tiller on a long string. Does a deflrx reflex bow have symetrical limbs or can I keep the upper limb 1-2" longer?
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I usually make mine symmetrical but don't think it matters, also when tillering be careful not to get the mid limbs bending to much, they will look more flat, I watch the top[or back of the limb] to judge the amount of bend. Cool design , one of my favorite , very smooth to draw and shoot. :)
Pappy
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I had never heard of Ocean Spray before, so I did some Googling and bit of reading as it pertains to bow wood. It appears you are very fortunate to have a stave that long, as well as a stave that hasn't checked/cracked badly. A lot of comments online about how badly it checks and how rare it is to find anything over 50-60" long. Supposed to be super tough wood if you can keep it from checking. Native Americans used it for all kinds of tools (ie: arrows) - early settlers made nails/pegs out of it.
Really like the shape you went with.
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Looking very cool, so far Doug.
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What Pappy said! :)
looking good.
Del
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Love the shape now. It's almost the same a most BBOs I have made. I have read that it's difficult to pull off that shape on a selfbow. I'm looking forward to seeing you make a nice bow. :OK
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Pappy explained it very well. It is hard to pull that shape off on any kind of bow if you don't get the bend just right. The string tension longwise is huge and will break the string as soon as you brace it if not overbuilt from what you are used to. If the string doesn't break it will want to bend sideways and flip over. You really have to get the bend just right and don't even think about starting with a low brace height. You will likely need at least 7". The good news is that if you pull it off it will shoot like a rocket.
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Thanks everyone for guidance and suggestions. I put a long string on and pulled it to brace heigth. I have some string alignment issues to deal with before i go any further.
Last winter I found 3 nice unbranched ocean spray growing in shaded north facing slopes in eastern cascades. I believe being in shade they reach for light and stay kind of straight and unbranched. This one didnt check or split like most do. It also has a perfectly swollen knuckle 30 x 40 mm in the middle. Makes a perfect handle. Hope I dont mess this one up.
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Last winter I found 3 nice unbranched ocean spray growing in shaded north facing slopes in eastern cascades. I believe being in shade they reach for light and stay kind of straight and unbranched. This one didnt check or split like most do. It also has a perfectly swollen knuckle 30 x 40 mm in the middle. Makes a perfect handle. Hope I dont mess this one up.
Do your staves dry into more reflex than as found when on the stump?
Maybe you could strap them to a 2x caul when green and "train" them as they dry.
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You nailed it with the profile. Looks great. Follow pappys advise and it’s be fine. Lookin good so far.
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Really liking what you’ve done with it so far. Hoping things go smoothly from this point on. Will definitely be following.
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Willie I dont notice a change in reflex as the staves dry out
I do like your suggestion of strapping to a board or caul.
I managed to use heat on lower limb to achieve decent string alingment. Put on a long string and exercized a bit to 30 lbs. I think the profile looks decent.
Should my next step be to remove wood from the end of the limbs to flatten out the bend at brace height? Or should I make string knocks and move to a real bow string? It's currently 74" OAL
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This is looking really great! I've never made a true R/D bow so not sure what the desired finished profile is but it looks like nocks and a real string? It's coming out super sweet so far though!
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I would cut to length, cut nocks and get to low brace, it stresses differently when on a long string. Looking good so far. Pappy
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I put knocks in and had quite a bit of difficulty with string alignment with such a long narrow bow. Finally aligned and put on the tiller tree for some exercise. Its currently 72" NTN. At 28" draw its only pulling 27 lbs. If I reduce length to 66" shouldn't that increase draw weight to about 45 lbs?
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Not prefect but usually they will pick up 2 to 3 lbs per inch taken off, so will probably pick up 12 to 15 lbs maybe a little more. :)
Pappy
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Pappy thanks for your insight and encouragement. I removed the spongy center pith handle to tip reducing the draw weight a bit more. Then shortened limbs to 64" NTN. Final draw wt is 42# at 28". Tiller isnt perfect but Im calling it done. Ill do some light sanding, leave the bark on and seal with tru oil. I will say ocean spray has amazing flexibility. Ill be looking for more staves this winter. A 1.5" diameter tree would be perfect. I have some shafts harvested ready to make arrows.
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I’m certain not an expert on that design, but I’m thinking your tiller looks good.
Have fun with it.
Bjrogg
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Great job on that. I have always really liked that design but I have so many failures trying to tiller them out. I usually go for about 2" of backset. Looking forward to a performance report.
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I shot 4 different bows yesterday and this ocean spray R/D is my favorite. I'm leaving bark on and the handle naked. After shooting about 3 dozen arrows from 10 yards I drilled a bullseye from 30 yards. Good way to end the day.
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Turned out awesome!
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Came out nice. I've never been able to see good tiller on a R/D style bow. Well done. :OK
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Looks good, nice work, the only bow I every left the bark on [yes it looked cool] was a pin nut Hickory sapling bow, after several months the back I guess really dried out and starting cracking so I had to take it off before it ruined the back of the bow, Ocean may be different but probably need to keep an eye on it. Again nice work. I love the R/D design. :)
Pappy
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Very nicely done. Full draw looks good to me. Sounds like it shoots great.
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Yes that did turn out very nice indeed. Love the bend on that full draw!
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Ocean spray is amazing wood, this bow here has a drying check that is 24" long and goes right hrogh the bow. 4 1/2" reflex no deflex and took less than 1/2" set. Extremely fast bow. Bow is about 1 1/16 wide. I will try and make a string and do a chrono on it this week, been several years since I had a string on it. 22.2 oz, 50# @ 28"
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Great Job there Doug!
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Thanks everyone! I'm an apprentice who owes all of you tremendous gratitude for your knowledge. Hope to see you in the woods some day.
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The bow looks awesome Doug, I've always wanted to make one like that. Nice job!