Hickory backed lemonwood ALB build along the start.

[Pat B]

I did a little more work today. In can see in the pics I need to scrape a little more so I have a nice even bend in both limbs.
 This is the glue-up form I'll be using. The blocks at the tips are 3 1/4" where the tips rest  and the handle area drops about 2" to the base. It's not much reflex but I think plenty for this style bow. After shooting in the bow should be pretty flat.
 

 

[soy]

       

[Pat B]

Still have plenty of strength even without the backing so I'll remove more wood and get her bending smoother.

[Roy from Pa]

Looks nice, Pat.

[BMorv]

Looking good Pat.  
Is there a reason you don't see many people using lemonwood anymore?  Is it supply or just that we found better exotics to use?  Ipe for instance.  I've read about lemonwood being used a lot in the past, but this is the 1st current build I've seen in my 2 years of trying to build bows.

[Pat B]

Benton, Lemonwood is primarily from Cuba and some from Central America and since the Cuban embargo it has been hard to come by. This is the wood that most of the bows used at summer camps, schools, etc. back in the 40's and 50's. Not long after that traditional archery went the way of the dinosaurs and mechanical bows came about.
 I believe this lemonwood I'm using is pre-embargo that someone had stashed. You can still get lemonwood in specialty wood shops I think but it is expensive.
 Today, there are better bow woods like ipe and not enough lemonwood to keep it a viable resource. When I had the opportunity to get some I jumped at it just for the historical value and that's why I'm building, and built one other, a traditional style American long bow, typical in the 40's and 50's. Back then you could get selfbows or bows backed with fiber(basically thin cardboard) or hickory.

[BMorv]

That makes sense.  Thanks for the explanation.

[Pat B]

I've done the glue up and she's resting comfortably in the hot box.
 I started out by getting everything I need ready. This is important because once you start it's too late to find something...
 
 
I then sanded both glue surfaces well to be sure I have clean, flat surfaces...
 

I then brushed both glue surfaces with a clean, stiff plastic scrub brush. This removes the saw dust for a good glue surface. I've always done this. I think I got the idea from Bingham's when I attempted a glass bow(I don't want to talk about it)...
 

...now, it's time for the glue. I didn't take pics because I had gluey gloves on and didn't want to screw up the camera. Once both surfaces were well buttered I added the alignment pins, 2 at the handle and 1 at each tip, and put the back on the belly. You can see the pins coming through the back with glue on them...
 

Then it's time to wrap each limb with the split tire tube and place the glue up on the form...
 

I drew the handle area down to the base of the form with 2 "C" clamps and added 1 small clamp at each tip...
 

[Pat B]

I then checked for a good ooze around the whole bow. I did find one area without much ooze so I added another clamp there and got good ooze...
 

Now it's time to go in the hot box. I made sure there were blocks in the bottom of the box to hold the glue up off the bottom so the "C" clamps weren't on the bottom and set the glue up in the box...
 

 I like to lay a piece of aluminum foil over the glue up at each bulb to prevent hot spots...
 

...and closed up the box for a few hours. At 100deg to 120deg(crappy thermometers) it shouldn't take long but I'll give her a little more time before I turn the lights off and let her slowly cool. I'll have the camera ready when I open the box later. to be continued...

[Bob at Work]

it's looking good...  

[Pat B]

She cooked for about 3 hours this afternoon then I turned the lights off so she could cool down slowly. I'll check her out tomorrow and take more pics.

[Pat B]

I took her out of the hot box today. She's holding about 1 1/4" of reflex just off the form...
 

...now it's time to clean up the sides to remove the excess glue and square the sides...
 

...after getting the sides clean and square I used my scraper to round off the edges on the backing...
 

...then 150 sand paper to smooth the corners...
 

...here she is showing the reflex...
 

...and I think these are the best glue lines I've ever gotten on a backed bow...
 

...that's it for now, more to come...

[John Malone]

Looks good Pat. So those two lines are the ends of the handle proper and you start the riser tapering to the belly from there which is the same spot the flare will start. As the riser gets shallower the flare gets wider. When the flare ends at the widest part of the limb the riser continues but is very shallow but the board is still 3/4 thick at this point so this makes the entire riser stiff. Is this correct? I have been starting the taper of the riser to belly were the fade ends for fear of making it weak. Which gives me a blocky sorta look that I don't care for.

[Pat B]

Ideally the fades are the transition between the working limb and the stiff handle.
 These traditional ALBs have stiff handles that fade into the limb. The longer fades allow for a long transition into the working limb. This bow is still very heavy. I haven't floor tillered since the backing was added but I'd bet at least 100# as she sits.

[John Malone]

I think I follow ya.

[Pat B]

I did a little wood removal this morning but didn't take any pics. I started off by drawing a line down both sides of both limbs at 5/8" from the back and removed wood to that line. I then checked the bend floor tillering. It hardly bent so I scribed another line 1/2" down from the back, removed the wood and checked. Voila! it bends...but still way too stiff. I may end up having to thin the backing and/or narrowing the bow but that's a decision for later.

[Roy from Pa]

Very nice, Pat.

But I wanna hear about the glass bow?  

[Pat B]

Roy, it was a straight Bingham's longbow. I didn't get the fades ground precisely and the glue up was off a bit. I contacted Bingham's about the problem and they told me to clamp the handle in a vise and torque the limb a little and that might help. I did it and the bow blew right at the fade. I still have it so I can remember to never build another glass bow.    :D

[Roy from Pa]

LOL ok.

[BMorv]

I was wondering about the glass bow too....
I wish we knew more about the color of the backing.  I've never seen anything like that.