I'd like some advice on making a bow form. I want to build a form for a hybrid longbow. It will be for making all wood laminate bows. I intend to we spring clamps because I have them already.

I made 1 form for takedown recurve limbs high seemed to work well using laminated pine. I drilled 1" holes to attach the clamps and it works ok. On that form the back of the limb faces the form.


I'm wondering if I should do this again or if I should make the form so that the belly faces the form.
My concern is that a bamboo back will be hard to glue up if e bamboo is facing the form.

Hope that made sense. Thanks ahead  of time!

My advice is to get Dean Torges' DVD Hunting The Bamboo Backed Bow and make a form as he shows in the video. It is supremely simple and very versatile... you can use it to make hybrids, d/r's, recurves, reflexed, or anything in between. The bamboo backing faces up. Your spring clamps would work well also... although I use c-clamps.

Dean's video is great. You can also buy his forms for all of the bows listed by bowjunkie along with a template and tillering jig Dean uses in the video. I think that I may order these myself. Just G#*$e it and you will find them.

I also use C clamps for my BBO bows... spring clamps just on the tips.