My new shortie recurve., finished Pics and Video

[Prarie Bowyer]

First I owe a big thanks to Pat M, Gordon, and several others for making this possible.  Several months ago I set out to make a fish killing bow.  But I couldn't just have yer regular stick and string.  It had to be quality and sweet AND work from a kayak.  Along the way I found other cool bows and learned to make them.

This one is something of a breakthrough for me.  I feel like my mind has been freed on how deep I can get wood to bend.  Bamboo backed hickory.  65# @24".  49" Tip to Tip.  I'm putting one of the cloth copperhead skins on it but I'll make more and one of those will be fish skinned.  Possibly Sturgeon.   Bend in the handle (I think).  It will get horn tips and arrow pass I hope.  Recurves are kerf cut with a bamboo splice inserted.






While I'm at it I wanted to show you guys my gluing form for this.  Versatility is big for me and because 908% of my bows are boo backed they seem to work out best when glued up in a crown up configuration.  What I cam up with is this.  I can controll and adjust the bow length and the amount of recurve by the amount of the form I use and how I space it.  Also I can place blocks and wedges under them to get different effects.


I clamp them in place then wrap everything with rubber clamps and remove the other clamps.  Works like a charm.

Next on the bench same form. 60" long.



SO onto the Finished pics.

[Bryce]

Wow I just made the same exact bow out of white oak and I'm waiting for the sturgeon skin to dry to put on the back.

Great minds think alike.

Good looking bow

[Prarie Bowyer]

Actualy I'm trying to score some sturgeon skins for it.  Well it's brother.  I put the fake snake skins on this.  I hope to use it this weekend.

[jim mason]

love bamboo nice bow man

[Parnell]

That looks great!

[mullet]

That's a great looking "shorty".

[lesken2011]

Good lookin bow, PB. I would love to see one in the form next time around.

[RDK]

Very nice! 
do you have a close up of   the " kerf cut with a bamboo splice inserted."   Just curious to see

[Pappy]

That looks great,nice bow,can't wait to see it all prettied up. DaveO a friend of mine tried the fake skins on some kids bows a few weeks back and you really have to be careful trimming them,they didn't trim smooth like real skins,they tried threading out on the edges,just a thought you may watch for if you haven't used fake before.He may have gotton some bad or cheap ones but I wasn't impressed
with the way they finished up.
   Pappy

[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

looking real good, keep after it so we can see it bendin

[Prarie Bowyer]

I want to do horn arrow passes.  Can I get away with inlaid horn or how is best to do this?

[Prarie Bowyer]

That looks great,nice bow,can't wait to see it all prettied up. DaveO a friend of mine tried the fake skins on some kids bows a few weeks back and you really have to be careful trimming them,they didn't trim smooth like real skins,they tried threading out on the edges,just a thought you may watch for if you haven't used fake before.He may have gotton some bad or cheap ones but I wasn't impressed
with the way they finished up.
   Pappy

They are not real skins.  However I haven't had that problem.  It's just like backing with linen I would think.  The instructions call for TB2 but I use TB3 for the extra moisture resistance.  Some tips that I found helpful from my previous one.

Don't spread glue over the whole bow.  Work in 6" increments. 
Use a craft brush and cover every milimeter of the back and slightly over the edge. 
spread the fabric down with your finger a bit damp.  If you feel glue come through it's good but don't let it puddle up.
Don't pull it tight if you are working it down over bamboo.  the area around the nodes will want to pull free.
Check back when the glue is pretty tack and re smooth it with a DRY finger or press down with a clean toothbrush (don't scrub just press).
Let that dry then ad a top coat of glue.  I thin this a tad. 
THEN when that is dry trim with a sharp exacto following the edge. 
Then use a fine file to trim further and clean up.
some areas may have lifted on the edge if you got in a rush or pulled it tight or put the top coat down before the bottom coat cured.
Use a toothpick to work a drop of glue under these spots and then hold it down with a finger till it sticks well and then let it dry completely.

They look nice I think given that they are not real skins.  But they are WAY less expensive.  NO snakes actualy died for their skins, and they add some backing strength to the bow.

[Cameroo]

You have come a long way grasshopper    That's a nice looking bow, one any of us would be proud to own.  I like your form setup too.

[coaster500]

Sweet fish killer!!! great bend, it will be nice to have a bow in your kayak that you don't have to cant horizontal

[Jboyd]

A great looking bow and I do like the forms,  what width measurements on that bow?

Jamie