A couple of months ago I made a hickory backed osage with an elm core recurve that I really like. So I decided to try another one. Instead of making a full length tapered core, I went with a 46" elm lam 3/16" thick to just past the fades and then an even taper to zero. Like a really long power lam, I guess.
It's 63" NTN, 1 1/2" at the fades to 7/16" tips and just under 50# @ 27". My 60 year old shoulders prefer 45#, but trying to get the last 3 inches tillered to that weight has been a bear. I've shot around 40 arrows thru it and will probably do a little more careful scraping on it tomorrow. Hope to have it all finished up next weekend and post a few more pictures.
(http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo207/okdoak/Wooden%20bows/HBOrecurve2_zps8853478b.png)
(http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo207/okdoak/Wooden%20bows/HBOrecurve_zpsb65dd5e2.png)
Wow! That thing looks great. I'm no selfbow or tri-lam pro, but judging from your full draw pic, I'd concentrate on scraping the top limb to get just a bit more overall bend to it. The tiller looks great, but if you can weaken the whole top limb a smidge, you just might take that three pounds off, and have a bit more even tiller. Of course, pics can be deceiving, and if it shoots great, then just evenly sand and round the edges a bit more, and you should be good. Either way, that is some very fine work, and I'm sure much better than I could achieve. Nicely done.
Better keep an eye on that handle. With no build up or power lam there is a good chance it pops on you. Tiller looks nice.
Thanks Phoenix and Pearl! I think you're right about the top limb. At a 5 1/2" brace it's just a hair stronger than the bottom limb, but it looks like it should open up more at full draw. I sure can't see that when it's on the tillering tree, but it's much more apparent in the picture. I'm into the belly a little bit at the handle fades, Pearl, about 1/16". Hope that's enough to keep it from popping off. We'll see. :rolleyes:
Thanks again for your insight, guys. :)
Dang, that's a sweet lookin bow! Good job!
Nice job takefive!!
Very nice looking bow man!!
Thanks guys! Did more scraping on the top limb and hope to have it finished next weekend.