Just a question

[1Longbow]

As a person ,who has no wood working skills,but enjoys looking at self bows .I was wondering how you makers get the recurve hook to the limb tips on self bows

[Pat B]

I use a heat gun. I oil the wood to prevent scorching, clamp the tip to a form of the shape I want and begin heating. When the wood gets hot enough the wood will bend easily, then I clamp to the form until it cools completely.
 Some woods work well with dry heat while others do better with steam or boiling.
 Below is an example of how I do it...
 

 

 

[1Longbow]

Interesting, and by the way"That" is a beautiful bow!

[Bowjunkie]

I use a heat gun as well. I've never used oil and get no scorching whatsoever... not even the slightest discoloration.

Like Pat said, steam and boiling are often used methods as well and I have done both depending on the wood type, moisture, and degree of bend.

Another technique is to saw a kerf into the end of the limb for about 12", insert a short lamination, and glue and clamp to a form of the chosen shape. The outer limb will bend into the form much easier since it will consist of three thin pieces rather than one thick piece. No heat is used.

[Pat B]

This probably isn't the best form to show a beginner. I found out that it is too extreme for dry heat. Both recurves cracked across the belly of the bend. I added a thin yew and a thin ipe underlay over the damage. If I build another with this form I'll steam the wood to make it bend.
  I have 4 or 5 different forms for tips and limbs.
 Osage manipulates well with dry heat in most circumstances.

[Brett Leinmiller]

Looking at this and other posts, it appears that recurve tips are initially clamped at 90 degrees or so? Is this correct?

Is there a popular, favored radius?

[takefive]

I've heard of guys tracing around a one gallon paint can for the radius.  I traced the bend of an old fiberglass recurve for my form, but I've only made two of them and I'm still learning and looking for ways to improve.  The hardest thing for me is to get that last inch of the tip bent tight to the form like Pat does in his picture.

[KenH]

Brett -- not initially, no.  

Wood takes significant amounts of heating and gently applied pressure to get that 90 bend.  Once the bend is achieved, then a clamp is applied to hold that position for several hours to a day or more, while the wood cools and and takes a set.  There will always be some spring-back, so that perfect 90 will open out after being removed from the form.  And then again, a little more after being shot.