High Performance Hunting Bow Build: Recurving
Now that the limbs bend roughly even its time to recurve the tips. This will add extra early draw tension to the bow and increase arrow speed if well executed. This is not a necessary step but can be very helpful when creating a higher performing bow.
To ensure we don't lift any splinters when recurving its highly recommended that you chase a ring on the belly. Leaving extra belly material at the tips will come in handy now. Using the card scraper we can chase a ring on the last 8 to 9 inches of the limb tips. Work slowly and carefully using the scraper to remove the early wood remnants until you have a clean belly area. Ideally the bows tips should be just over a half inch thick after chasing a ring on the belly tips.
With our bow prepared we can now build a recurving caul. This is a great investment for future recurving and will help you to get even and symmetrical tips. You may have build one of these already for your personal bow making needs . If not now would be the time to do so. You can continue without recurving this bow if you'd like it's up to you. Many examples of recurve cauls can be found online and are quite simple to make. I have attached photos of my own in this post. Another post detailing them can be found in the tools section of the page.
The safest way to recurve bow tips is to boil or steam them. I've found the easiest way to accomplish this is to place a pot of water on a stove or fireplace. Bring it to a low boil until it produces steam before placing the tip of the bow over the pot. Then placing foil over the pots rim wrapping it around the bow limb. Ensure there are minimal gaps for steam to escape before allowing the tip to be steamed for 30 minutes. The rule of thumb is 30 minutes of steaming per half inch of wood.
While the bow tip is steaming we can prepare our caul. An easy method is to clamp it to something sturdy or use a nearby bench vice is available. Prepare your clamps in advance having them nearby and ready to go.
Once the tip has been steamed for half an hour we remove it from the foil and quickly place the tip in the metal sleeve. Check the handle is upright so you are bending the bow the correct way. Next bend the bow downward in a slow and controlled fashion before clamping in place. Inspect the bend ensuring it's even and follows the caul. You can add extra clamps to adjust the shape if need be. As an additional step I then lightly heat the recurve with a heatgun while in the form. Just enough to change the color on the belly of the recurve. This helps to lock in the shape as well as prevent it from pulling out when in use.
Leave the recurve in the caul for 45 minutes to an hour until completely cool. It may feel cool on the surface much earlier than this, however the internal temperature may not be.
Left photo: The recurve in the caul cooling down for an hour. Right photo: The newly recurved bow
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High Performance Hunting Bow Build: Recurving
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