It has been a long time since I've posted and just finished a simple Hickory recurve and thought I'd see if I could post it. Adirondack knot free board that is the last core I had. Bamboo backings made some nice longbows from them. Core was 1 7/16"x 7/16". Steamed in the recurves on a simple form I made.
The recurve here is what I started with. 68" ntn - whopping 36#@28". I wanted to make a smooth shooter for the local 3D shoots. At a month from turning 70, the weight is fine for foam.
The handle is Red Oak, Ipe, and Bacote. Tip overlays are Padouk. Twisted up a 12 strand B50 string and for a low poundage non heat treated wooden bow, it sends a 29" 1816 with 85 grains up front down range nicely.
If this posts for me with the photo, I'll get finished ones up with full draw. IMG_1902.jpg
Sounds like a nice bow. It ought to shoot well with those hooks. Looking forward to the full draw pic and would like to see a back profile and braced pic.
Will try to upload a few photos you requested Pat. Too nasty outside here in the middle of NY in the lake effect snow belt! Forgot to mention weight is 19 oz. with string and tru oil finish.IMG_1906.jpgIMG_1907.jpgIMG_1908.jpg
Here you go! She is a smooth draw.IMG_1909.jpgIMG_1911.jpg
Wow! WHat a beautiful full draw profile. :clapper: :clapper: :clapper: Nicely done.
I'm amazed how well those hooks stayed static. Looks pretty darn good at brace too!
Nice bend to that one.
Kirkll, that is the highest compliment from someone that builds incredible bows in several styles. I've made just over 90 self and backed bows since '99 but work over a tarp with a vise in our utility room.
Never was able to attempt a glass bow for lack of a "real" shop. Rasp, drawknife and a few files. Been fun. Lots of sandpaper to boot!
Very nice all around, Barebo. Thanks for the pics. :thumbsup:
If it shoots half as good as it looks, your 3-d scores are going to jump. Beautiful
Quote from: barebo on December 24, 2025, 10:11:22 AMKirkll, that is the highest compliment from someone that builds incredible bows in several styles. I've made just over 90 self and backed bows since '99 but work over a tarp with a vise in our utility room.
Never was able to attempt a glass bow for lack of a "real" shop. Rasp, drawknife and a few files. Been fun. Lots of sandpaper to boot!
I never really got serious about building self bows from staves, or even laminated board bows. But... I sincerely appreciated the bowyers that do. There is much more to it than meets the eye. The difference between building glass and carbon backed bows and an all wood bows is night and day, and both require a skill set learned best though trial and error.
I never could get past the heart break of loosing so many wood bows. The humidity and moisture content seriously affects a finished self bow, and string follow issues can result over time, and longevity is a roll of the dice depending on how much use they get and how they are stored when not in use. You really need to be in love with the whole process building self bows and board bows, and accept the high mortality rates.
With glass backing it's a different story. Your true tillering is done with the form geometry and taper rates , and wedges used in the core. Fine tuning is done with width profiling and a bit of trapping, and sanding glass. A drum sander and milling your own tapers and wedges is a must to successfully prototype new designs, and draw weights can vary a lot with only .010-.015 thousandths of an inch in thickness. Learning to build custom bows to exact specifications takes a lot of experience and keeping a very precise bowyers log. Even then, you get different results using different materials.
I appreciate the self bowyers out there, and their passion for the trade.
I wish you the best of luck as you follow your passion. Kirk
Kirk,
Your comments and insight are much appreciated. Out of the 90 plus bows made since starting in '99, I've had 6 or 7 failures including 2 that simply broke that I can recall. I started in 1970 with a fiberglass bow and the painted 39 cent arrows at the local hardware store.
At 16 I got a new Darton at a "real" archery shop and was hooked since. The level of craftsmanship in custom bows is incredible from exotic/rare riser woods and limb veneers, etc. Some of the more creative self bow builders are turning out works of art as well. My objective was to make a bow that was both durable and accurate and finished well enough to not look sloppily done. Felling a tree and splitting staves that eventually result in launching that first arrow and watching it fly is rewarding knowing it was done with your own 2 hands.The archery community is full of talented folks and has given me years of enjoyment.