Building my own recurve.

[TMiddleton]

That's a heck of a 30 yard shot on that hog!

Matt -- Your such a tease!

[TMiddleton]

Greywolf about strings-- I really don't have anything to compare them to because that's the only way I have ever made them. The main benefit to me in padding, is it makes the string loop larger and in my mind the added surface area of the loop will be more forgiving on the limb tip.

[bassmatt72]

Well alrighty then! Yesterday I was rockin and rollin on this build! Or at least I thought I was? I'm following the instructions that I got from Binghams so don't think I'm some pro at this.(My disclaimer?) First thing I did was slap on a tillering string with a timber hitch to find which limb would be the bottom. To do this we need to measure the distance from limbs at the end of the riser overlays to the string, according to Binghams these measurements need to be within 1/4 inch of each other. The limb with the shorter measurement is the stronger limb and will be the bottom. My measurements were right at 1/8 difference.

After I marked the bottom limb I next used an 18" tillering stick to check for limb twist. Something is not right??? I didn't have any limb twist! I even took the string off and swapped the ends twice just to be sure my timber hitch might not be affecting anything?


Used my plexiglass patterns and laid out my riser.

Oooo! I just realized I have spent all this time putting wood on the bow now its time to cut some off! I started to get a little "bandsaw anxiety" so, I slammed a Coke Zero, put on the safety gear and dove in!


Whew! That went good so on to the drum sander.

Here it is so far, rough cut and sanded!

This is where my couple of hours yesterday turned into an all dayer! Its starting to look like a bow and I just couldn't stop!

[bassmatt72]

I couldn't stop yesterday but, its time to get the family up and ready for church. So, I'll post the rest of the pics. after church this afternoon. I think the really good pics. are still to come.......

[TMiddleton]

I'm jealous but glad at the same time, that you didn't have any tillering issue's when you put a string on it for the first time! Recurves can be a bugger to get limb twist out of, so not having any twist show up in your limbs is pretty amazing! I like my bows to have about 1/8 positive tiller also.

Looking at the pic, it appears the sight window was cut at 90 degrees. Are you planning on leaving it at 90? It really needs to radiused or rounded where the shelf meets the sight window.This will prevent your riser cracking right at that spot and the crack running down into the handle.

[Horn chaser]

Very good job so far and that is awesome that you had no limb twist on your first recurve. Also very good work on shaping the bow. Can't wait to see more photo's. Tmiddleton looking at his pattern lines he drew it will have a radius shelf when he gets there.

[Hoggslayer]

Looking great so far.

[TMiddleton]

Very good job so far and that is awesome that you had no limb twist on your first recurve. Also very good work on shaping the bow. Can't wait to see more photo's. Tmiddleton looking at his pattern lines he drew it will have a radius shelf when he gets there.

I looked back through the photos and yes, I see where he plans on the shelf being radiused. But the area I'm talking about is where the shelf meets the sight window. It's just a suggestion, sorry if I wasn't clear.

[Greywolf in Hawaii]

Have you had issues with cracking at that spot? I don't round that much, but they are more square then the picture.

I know back a few years some compounds were cracking at that spot.
Were the one(s) that had an "issue", a solid on piece or laminated riser?

Matthew, your now at the fun part the spindle sander and rasps are really gonna get a work out. go slow and have fun.

Remember the old says, "it's easy to take off, but heck to put back on."

[Horn chaser]

I cut my shelves out like he has here and when I get to shaping the shelf I work in the radius with a rasp as shape the shelf down to where I want it. I don't curve it as much as you do but I have yet to have a problem with them splitting down the handle. Since I don't have a good router that has been the most efficient way for me to work the sight window area.
Alright I am ready to see some more pics. I am enjoying following this bow build.

[bassmatt72]

Here is the rough shaped bow laying next to a Jeffrey's Mighty Mag that I own, its the bow that made me choose the green mountain camo and black glass.

Like Greywolf in Hawaii said, its easier to take more off than try and put it back on. I'm at the point of rasping and sanding and at least three times I've rasped to where I thought I wanted it and started sanding then decided it needed a little removed here or there.


I have actually taken it down a little more than this picture, but it starts to give us an idea of how its going to look.

But then....I had an idea! This build didn't call for it but I thought I could do this. Cut a thin strip of left over riser materials and sand till thin enough to bend with out cracking.


And then this. What am I trying? An overlay on the back of the riser!

TMiddleton, I am cutting a radius in the shelf, just haven't got it to shape yet.

[TMiddleton]

I was taught to radius the area where the shelf meets the sight window by a respectable bowyer here in Texas. I've heard other Bowyers on other Trad sights mention this as well. No, I haven't had a problem with my risers cracking, but I can only assume that is because I round that area out.???? I'm talking about just rounding a little bit, nothing drastic. Just enough to relieve the hard angle where they come together. Again, I'm not talking about radiusing the shelf. That simply gives you better arrow clearance. I'm talking about the area where the shelf and the sight window comes together.

Here is an example of the damage I'm trying to avoid:

[Horn chaser]

My apologies tmiddleton if I mislead you to think I was referring to the radius from the back of the bow to the belly. I meant the same curve as you are referring too in the pic and the one in the latter pic without the curve. My apologies again for using the wrong word there. We both curve it there we just make the curve two different ways.
On the break in the one you posted I am thinking that is more of a wood issue that the way the shelf was cut from the side of the riser. Not know what kind of wood that is I am going to assume that with the grain pattern that wood had that it possibly could have been a better idea to put an I-beam in the riser for added strength. I could be wrong that just looks like a possibility to me.

[Horn chaser]

Here is the rough shaped bow laying next to a Jeffrey's Mighty Mag that I own, its the bow that made me choose the green mountain camo and black glass.
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Like Greywolf in Hawaii said, its easier to take more off than try and put it back on. I'm at the point of rasping and sanding and at least three times I've rasped to where I thought I wanted it and started sanding then decided it needed a little removed here or there.
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I have actually taken it down a little more than this picture, but it starts to give us an idea of how its going to look.
[ATTACH]506122[/ATTACH]
But then....I had an idea! This build didn't call for it but I thought I could do this. Cut a thin strip of left over riser materials and sand till thin enough to bend with out cracking.
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And then this. What am I trying? An overlay on the back of the riser!
[ATTACH]506125[/ATTACH]
TMiddleton, I am cutting a radius in the shelf, just haven't got it to shape yet.

Bassmatt72 great job on the bow so far and I think your idea of using some riser material as an overlay will be a nice touch!!!

[TMiddleton]

Horn Chaser -- There is no apology necessary. I was just making sure that we were all talking about the same area. This was only a suggestion. That's the beauty of making your on bow, you can build it however you choose! Yeah I'm sure the way that riser was built and the grain pattern contributed to the crack in the pic above. I used that pic only to illustrate the damage.

Good luck Matt with your build, I'm sure she will be a shooter when your done.