Recurve designs

[NTD]

What is the ideal design for a recurved bow?  Wide limbs? Bend through the handle? etc?  I have a friend who really wants a recurve bow and I'm just starting to feel brave enough to maybe try my hand at one.  Also I've read that people keep the tips wide while heat bending....do they mean full width and then narrow? 

Sorry if this has been covered but I got impatient with the search engine on this forum...seriously try searching Ipe for instance...I love this forum but not the search engine

[Dano]

You might as well ask what the meaning of life is. 

[Pat B]

From what TBBII says..."Perhaps the best trade-off between speed and accuracy is a recurve of 60" to 64", measured before the tips are bent(this is for a 28" draw length)."    I'd add, wide out most of the limb and a flat belly with narrow, static recurve tips.
   When bending tips I leave them full width or slightly less. I'd rather cut them to shape after I find out how well everything lines up.

[NTD]

Thanks Pat,

What you added to TBBII is kind of what I was looking for.  I've read that chapter on recurves twice in the last week but it seemed to be missing a lot of info for the newb recurve guy.  Do many people do a bend in the handle design for recurves or mostly stiff handled?  And I guess I should also ask what I really meant LOL...  what is the best design for a first time recurve build?.... is that better Dano?  I guess I did have a very broad question

Nate Danforth

[Del the cat]

It depends on the stave.... end of.
If you have access to unlimed choice then you have a problem...but a nice problem.
Del

[TBod]

After reading TBB4 recurves seems to be a bit overestimated in terms of efficiency. But there are probably other reasons to do one.

[Hillbilly]

For a first recurve, I would probably make it stiff-handled, and make the limbs wider than you would for a straight bow of the same length, to compensate for the shorter working limbs and more stress.

[Pat B]

What Hillbilly said!    Keep the handle stiff and make the limbs wider with a flat belly. I would bring the working portion of the limb as close to the handle as you can.

[Christophero]

TBod,
Yes, but you have to keep in mind that Tim Baker prefers a longbow with narrow stiff tips, that in essence shortens the working portion of the limb similar to the way a recurved tip does.  Also, Tim is out for the highest yield efficency.  In truth, those are all excellent qualities we all enjoy in a wood bow.  But, Tim isn't a hunter and doesn't wade through saplings and honeysuckle after game or sit in tight treestands.  Those are perfect senarios for a shorter recurve bow that can be manuvered easier when the shot presents itself.  That and the fact that recurves are no slouches in the arrow casting department and well made wood recurves are just plain pleasing to the eye!

[radius]

i had good success recently with a d/r bow made of white oak...it is 66" long, maybe a little long but good for accuracy...

i reduced the limbs to about 3/8" thickness their entire length, recurved the tips with steam, and then heat-induced deflex using a heat gun...the result was that the bow was practically tillered once it had cooled off...very easy, if involved, and it shoots fast and straight (in my apartment, anyway!)

[Justin Snyder]

I don't think a well designed recurve is overestimated in terms of efficiency. But that brings us back to Dano's statement.  If the bow is long enough to maintain a good string angle, it can be efficient without recurves so recurving is probably wasted time. If the bow is shorter, the string angle needs to be addressed or you loose a lot of energy to stacking.

Bow design can be debated all day long. Yes putting the energy into the arrow is very important, but you have to have a bow that will store the energy before release. If the bow takes set, the energy is lost before the arrow comes into play. If the bow is overbuilt, it robs energy. If the bow stacks, it robs energy. Hickory obviously needs to be wider than Osage which is still wider than Ipe. Too many variables involved to say what is the best design for a recurve. Best is probably high reflex, sinew back, horn belly with narrow recurves. But best at what?

For me best simply means I feel comfortable shooting it and can hit consistently. What else really matters.

[radius]

for me, what matters is to keep trying new things and always seeking to improve the design...

[NTD]

LOL thanks guys.  I wasn't trying to start a debate or rather re-fuel one   I'm looking for a basic recurve build kind of like Baker's build for a first time bow.....except ya know the whole building your first recurve   I'm building this for a friend because he just likes recurves.  I'm sure it's more an aesthetic appeal for him rather than a chase for the "most efficient bow". 

Thanks Radius for the reply, good info and I've been watching your recurve threads but wasn't sure if I should attempt that for a first recurve.

Most of my questions have been answered...I think.... make it wider and stiff handled....kind of like a comstock bow but recurved tips?

About the grain on a recurve though.  Radius you mentioned that one should not use rift sawn wood.  Most of the wood I have available is rift sawn.  Is there a way to successfully utilize rift sawn boards in a recurve or maybe even a semi recurve...would backing help??

[Justin Snyder]

NTD, if you would tell us what kind of wood, how wide it is, and how long of a piece you are planning to use we could give you a lot better info. It isn't that we don't want to help, we just need more info. 

[NTD]

Justin,

I haven't actually started the build yet.  I have a few more red oak boards and some Ipe to work on before I dive into it.  I'm trying to gather as much info as I can before I do.  I haven't decided on a wood type yet but read good things about elm.  I'm going to my local hardwood guy tomorrow to see if he has it but I am not commited to any specific wood.  I'm thinking 64-66" long, width is not yet determined but the way the wood is sold I can get any width.  My monkey armed friend has a 30" draw so that's why I was thinking a bit longer of a recurve plus I thought a little longer might give me some margin for error.  I'm aiming for 40-45# draw weight @ 30".