Plans for recurve

[thumbdraw]

Hi, I am looking for some tried and true plans for my first homemade bow. No fibreglass just wood. Flexible on the glue type.

Please and Thank you

[KenH]

For a first bow, the steaming of tips to make recurved ends is pretty darn complicated.  Gluing in the recurves is easy as long as you make a good bending jig.  I've attached an old article on a simple way to make a wood or wood-fiberglass laminated recurve that will give you a start.  I would shoot for a bow about 1-1/2" wide at the handle tapering to 1/2" at the tips, 64-66" from tip to tip.  The bending jig shown in the article can be sawn out of a 2x12.

[gifford, MO]

Thanks for posting the link; love the old Root recurve I have. Way too complicated for me but a fascinating read.

[Roy from Pa]

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=108949.0

[thumbdraw]

Ken, thanks for the plans.

I tried using tightbond III to glue 2 x 1/8 pieces together 4 ft long and they snapped.
Do I need a more flexible glue? Before glueing I could almost touch the ends together.

[KenH]

What kind of joint did you have between the two pieces???  A butt joint would be worthless.  A scarf joint (see attachment) that is at least 6 times longer than the thickness of the wood is the 'standard' sort of joint for gluing up two pieces like that.  For that 1/8" stock I'd make the scarf an inch long.

As a glue, Titebond (tm) is often stronger than the wood.  I almost always used Titebond II, it seems better than III.

[thumbdraw]

It was a lamination not a joint.