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31
Bows / Re: Common mistakes in deflex/reflex bows?
« Last post by Badger on December 13, 2025, 04:54:33 pm »
I was referring to the photos of bows in the other thread about bow shapes. I find that if the limb is straight at brace, I am in pretty good shape, but if it is still showing the dip from the deflex, it is under extremely high tension on the string and will twist itself into a knot.
32
Bows / Re: Common mistakes in deflex/reflex bows?
« Last post by Aussie Yeoman on December 13, 2025, 04:50:56 pm »
Thanks Badger, always good to hear from you.

Had you meant to attach a picture or link to one?
33
Bows / Re: Common mistakes in deflex/reflex bows?
« Last post by Badger on December 13, 2025, 04:28:21 pm »
     R?D is still my favorite, but not as extreme as shown in the diagram. I have built quite a few like those pictured, and I have had a very high failure rate. My biggest mistake is getting a hinge in the middle of the limb where it just suddenly appears. I believe my biggest mistake on those is trying to go for too much reflex. If the tips are level with the back, they are not too bad to tiller out, but they are a nightmare with a few inches of reflex. My favorite R?D design is more like an R&D with a semi-recurve. I use a very similar form to the one Gary Anderson used. Hard to beat.
34
Bows / Common mistakes in deflex/reflex bows?
« Last post by Aussie Yeoman on December 13, 2025, 04:09:14 pm »
Hi all,

I'd like to get into deflex reflex bows, having made longbows and flatbows (straight and perry-reflexed) pretty much exclusively for almost three decades, with one or two recurves in the mix. I've been teaching bowmaking classes for about 15 years.

So I'm not new to bow making by any means, but only to this particular style. I've tried once or twice, but it didn't end well. I think the problem was in having the belly slat too thick, and/or trying to go for too much reflex, in the glue up.

I'd like to hear from the experienced, what common mistakes beginners can make when constructing and tillering this kind of bow. Maybe even some of the uncommon but important to know mistakes too.

Cheers!
35
Bows / Re: The best shape for a reflexed bow?
« Last post by Aussie Yeoman on December 13, 2025, 02:02:57 am »
Tuomo I really dig your D/R design. Would you be willing to share the parameters here?

I think a common issue with the R/d design versus a recurve is that they’re much harder to tiller. I assume this results in less even strain and a slower bow. Recurves are simple in comparison which may explain the difference by wood bow makers on average. I think it’s also easier to get more total reflex from a recurve than with a r/d bow. Seems like Fiberglass bows that can be designed so close to perfect are closer to what we’d see in a model versus real world averages.

Wooden laminates are easy. I make a R/D model with VirtualBow, find a correct taper rate for specific front profile. Then I make the laminates (3–4, each tapering 0.000, 0.002 or 0.004), after gluing I shape the front profile and after rounding the corners the tiller is usually very close to "perfect". For example, that 98# bamboo-horn-laminate, I made two tillering rounds, maybe 15 minutes total. Thats it.

to not confuse the thread we might stay a bit closer to the topic. The simple ( ;D) question actually seems: How and why does the sideprofile affect energy storage? 

Although I said that string angle isn't the best parameter to describe energy storage, it is still quite good to tell something about energy storage... Here is braced and drawn profiles of three of those models, and draw-force curves with straight reference line.
36
Bows / Re: Snake bow
« Last post by Bob Barnes on December 13, 2025, 12:21:35 am »
Handle pic

The shape of the riser is very pleasing to the eye.  It looks like a longbow from the side profile.  I like it.   :OK
37
Bows / Re: Bow Testing 2023 / 2025
« Last post by willie on December 12, 2025, 08:44:30 pm »
The "winning" bows were a classic 66" Longbow made from yew, maple and bamboo and a D/R glassbow which both measured same speeds.

nice test and study. can you comment on the side profiles of the top 10% of wood bows?

previous research has led me to believe that a deflexed recurve of moderate proportions.   (plus and minus 30mm or so) should be up there and hold their own against more radical bent wood designs.
38
Bows / Re: Snake bow
« Last post by Selfbowman on December 12, 2025, 07:37:03 pm »
Pic
39
Bows / Re: Snake bow
« Last post by Selfbowman on December 12, 2025, 07:35:58 pm »
Handle pic
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Bows / Re: Snake bow
« Last post by Selfbowman on December 12, 2025, 07:33:45 pm »
Yes you can safely cut close to center . You need 1-1/2” thick handle section. And look at some glass long bow handles it’s no different except the back of the handle is flat .  A Howard hill style handle works. They are more arrow forgiving. Also opens up your sight window. One reason the target shooters like them.
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