Bow Form Building?

[flint kemper]

I have seen a few tutorials but was wandering how you have come up with the proper deflex and reflex to draw out on your forms. I have heard of some people tracing a current bow that they have and using it. I have also heard that fiberglass bows will spring loose after leaving the form so your bow will be a little different than the one ypu traced it off of? I visited my buddy Chuck Jones yesterday who builds the Black Rhino bows and occasionally still a Okaw Valley longbow, and sort of got the bow building bug. I looked at his forms for his Okaw bows and they are metal forms and dead perfect. I appreciate replies. Thanks Flint  

[kennym]

Flint,if you got a buddy who builds bows,you got a treasure,bet he'll share with ya! I still use plywood forms and the bows spring back a little ,at least after shooting a bit,guess I never laid one right back on the form....
Heres my methods on formbuilding,not nearly as advanced as Chucks metal forms! LOL

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=054410

[BMN]

Anybody use MDF for the form instead of plywood? I know its heavy but two pieces of 3/4-inch MDF actually add up to the 1.5 inch width where as two pieces of 3/4-inch plywood comes up a tad short.

Bill

[Canadabowyer]

Yes, MDF works real nice for forms. It is easy to sand to get just the shape you want, but its soft so it needs some reiforcement. I just use a pair of maple parallels glued to the form surface. Also I have form clamps that don't have bolts through the MDF.If your clamps have bolts that pass through the MDF(like Binghams)you need to reinforce the boltholes with plywood or the pressure from the airhose will wear them out quickly.  Bob

[Cupcake]

MDF works very well.  If you search for my build along you can see how I made mine.  I glued a 1/16" strip of aluminum to the top of my for and it works great.  My design uses C-clamps instead of an air hose.
Kevin