trade bow / 60" elm static recurve

[Pat B]

I've been taking a few pics so I figured I'd start my own TG Trade Bow thread.
 This bow will be a 60"t/t elm static recurve. I'm planning on 50#@28". This stave is special! My friend Tom Brennan passed away a while back from a brain tumor. His son Patrick Brennan(same name as mine) gave me Tom's bow wood stash after Tom passed. I have shared some to other friends of Tom's and made a few special bows out of one or two. What better place to spread some of Tom's memory amoung my other friends here on TradGang. Tom would approve!!!  
 If you have a subscription to or can find a copy at the magazine rack, the new Primitive Archer Magazine(Feb, Mar 2011) has an article, by yours truely, about a complete archery set a bunch of PA guys put together to present to Patrick in Tom's honor.

...now back to the bow! Here is the halved elm log, part of the limb width reduction and the  initial belly reduction.
 

[Roy from Pa]

Geeze Pat, hope you drew my name:) Very nice piece of wood my friend. But ya need to sweep that bow shop floor:)

[NTD]

Very fitting use for a special stave.
Look forward to seeing the progress Pat, I'm working on a 64" Elm static right now as well:)

[Pat B]

This is a pretty clean stave and pretty straight with only one knot to deal with. I get the bow to floor tiller stage and prepare to use some heat. The last 6" or so of one limb had a crook in it that had to be straightened first...



 Then to recurving the tips. This form uses a metal strap to support the outside(belly) of the recurve while bending.




I'm using my old B&D two speed heat gun set on high and olive oil for the heating process(s). You can see the oil stain in the wood where I heated. When doing a recurve like this one I oil the area to be worked well with olive oil. The support band on the form that is permanently attached at the curved end of the form is clamped to the bow. As the wood is heated I test by lightly pulling down to see if it is ready to bend and when it is I bring it down into the bend and place a clamp. Then more heat and more bending down to the form and another clamp. I allowed each heat treated area to cool for 3 or 4 hours in my 40 deg(F) basement before removing the clamps.

[Roy from Pa]

It's amazing what heat can do, very nice Pat. Thanks for sharing.

[Pat B]

I did have a splinter come up in the first recurve. I had left an island of rings on the belly and I should have known better...but no worries! The tips are thick enough to where the splinter will be worked out while shaping the tip. I did soak the splinter in super glue for insurence. In the first pic you can barely see the splinter in the center of the curve where the light is reflecting...and the other pis looking from the tip.  I'll post more tomorrow.
 

[Bert Frelink]

Nice work Pat, I'll be watching this one with much interest!!
Bert.

[Diamondback59]

lookin good pat  ill be watchin  my kind a shop  !!!  wonder if ya ever got one of them copperheads in there yet  ? brock

[Pat B]

Just outside the basement, Brock. Probably one you have!
 Bert, I need lessons from you. I have admired your bows since I first saw one. I static recurve(maybe a Duoflex) if I'm not mistaken, right here on TradGang.
 Like I said, elm is relatively new to me. So far I like it. It works very well with heat if it holds the curves. Works well with rasp and scraper too. I don't know what species of elm this is. Tom lived in Hendersonville, NC but the wood could have come from anywhere.
 It will be a learning experience for me for sure as well as others, I hope.

[broketooth]

very cool mr pat.i have some questions but i will wait until you are finished building the bow. ruddy

[Stiks-n-Strings]

awsome thread Pat. I been needing some guidance on flippin tips and I think this is just the place to get it    

Stiks

[KellyG]

This is what the swap is all about learning and sharing. Stiks it is a good thing you have started. I remember one swap on here when  I fist joined the site but it was nothing like your first or second.
Pat I am sure we want wait long to see your end result.
Thanks for sharing in your learning and knowledge,
Kelly

[ber643]

That is going to be a real looker the way it's going, Pat, I'm gonna love seeing the static limb tips again. We had one for sale in the shop I worked at, by a mutual acquaintance of ours. My boss liked it so well that, after we sold it, he ordered one from that same fellow for himself. Haven't seen another in a long time. I'll be looking for that article in PA. I liked Tom a lot and I think Patrick is one of the finest young gentlemen I've had the pleasure of meeting - always such a positive chap to talk to/with. Can't imagine that the article, coming from you, won't be a fine tribute in itself. Good on ya.

Good (continued) luck with the bow. Somebody is going to be a happy camper, methinks.

[SteveD]

Looks good Pat. Thanks

[Osagetree]

PatB makes some of the best bows around. I know as I have one of his bows. I got lucky in last years swap and he sent me the bow. It has truley become one of my favorite bows. I will aspire to have his quality and care that he provides his bows when building mine. PatB is a true bowyer!

[1oldbowguy]

Nice, being new I sure like the way you talk it through.  Thanks!

[okie64]

Pat, What size radius does your form have? I would like to make a form like that but never really knew what size to make the curves.

[karrow]

great lookin bow so far pat i always check out your post lots of info thanks

[Pat B]

Ask away Ruddy while it is fresh in both of our minds. d;^)
Kris, this it the same design as the osage bow in my avatar. I have another form for flipping tips that is not as tight of a curve.
 Bernie, Patrick is a true gentleman. He has been since the day we met. My article covers that as well.
Kelly, these build along postings are great learning tools for everyone. Yours is helping lots of folks that are in the same bow building boat that you are in but look at the adversities you are having to put up with just to be able to give it a try. If that isn't encouraging to newbies I don't know what is.

[Pat B]

Okie, I'm guessing about 8" but I never measure these things. I find a jar lid or coffee can lid or whatever that looks good to me and trace that. There is a bit of trial and error doing it that way but those lessons seem to stick better with me.
 Thanks guys, I'm trying to learn a bit with this project too. I am familiar with the design but not the wood so lets see where it takes us.