1st Recurve Selfbow

[Okie 1]

Here's an Osage recurve I just finished up. It's 62" n2n and 58# @ 26". Antler tips. This is the first recurve I've made. I've made a few with flipped tips but never bent wood this much before. I used a heat gun and crisco to make the curves. I also put some deflex in it. Hope you enjoy.
 
 
 
 
 

[DEATHMASTER]

Very nice I love the selfs with the flip tips.
Did crisco work good for the heating?

[Okie 1]

Any type of oil would work I suppose. Crisco is just what I have handy and it works well. It helps to transfer the heat into the wood and helps prevent scorching from the dry heat.

[Pat B]

Very nice recurve. Osage is an excellent wood for a bow like this. I use olive oil for heat bending cause that's what we have at home. Pat

[Chisler]

Wow - that is really really nice.  Great work!

[Aeronut]

Beautiful bow.    

[TNstickn]

 WOW!!!

[Pennsyltuckey pete]

Nice looking bow!  I think I will try EVOO on my bow.  

pete

[Tunames]

Nice work!

[shamus]

very nice!

[4runr]

Very nice!

[ChristopherO]

Very pretty recurve you have.  They have an alurement about them, don't they?
Did you feel it was necessary to induce defelx or did the tillering process help bring it out?

[mwmwmb]

nice, did you bend on a form or freehand??

[Okie 1]

ChrisO, I thought the curves looked better with the deflex. this stave had 2" of natural reflex in it and I almost couldn't bring myself to bend it.

mwmwmb, I used a form and free handed it to get them just right. (as just right as I could anyway)

[crosseye]

that is NICE!  could you give a quick tutorial on how you get the overlays to match up with the bow? are both sanded flat then glued on, or would that violate the back of the bow if it were sanded?  i have always wondered.

stan

[bigcountry]

When you bent the tips, did you use the metal strap deal alot of guys use?  Or did you just heat em up, and vise the limb down to a form?

[Okie 1]

Thanks for the comments guys.

BigCountry, I just made me a form from a 2x10x18". I cut in my curve and left a notch at the top for the tip tip lie in. With the tip secured in the notch the rest of the bow was stuck out in the air. I had the form in a vise upright. When I started heating it it started bending on it's own and when it got close I helped it the rest of the way. I clamped it to the form and left it overnight then the next day I did the other one.

crosseye, I do sand the back as much as I think I can get away with without violating a ring. On this bow the rings are so thin I couldn't sand much so I fitted the overlays to the bow.

[elkshooter]

That is a sweet bow...can you post a picture of the form you used to bend the tips?

Also, I've never done one and am interested in doing it, but I'm wondering if you have do do anything different in the tillering process.

[Chris Surtees]

What is one nice looking bow  

[Okie 1]

elkshooter, I'll try to get a pic up this evening. It is a bit more work to get the tiller right on a working recurve verses a static recurve or straight bow. Getting them to bend evenly and not too much is kinda tricky. I think I was more lucky than anything else on this one.    

Thanks for the comments

John