making a form

[bobzila]

Hi guys i was wondering if one of yous could do a build along for a recurve form as i have tried and failed 3 times so far. i have studied all the photos of forms i could find on here and Kennys web site but still can not get it right. please help me.
thanks Justin.

[kennym]

Hi Bob,

What are you having trouble with on it?

I'm sure some of the folks on here can whip one up before breakfast some days!  

[bobzila]

Symmetry and keeping the cut flat at 90 degrees are my 2 biggest problems. i tryed a router and template and still messed it up.

[kennym]

The symmetry comes from using a half template for me. Do one end and flip over to get identical limbs.

The 90 degrees should be a done deal with router if you hold it flat on the form.( take your time here)

Did you bandsaw the form just off the line? This gives the chips a place to go.

[StoneAK]

I must say I have one of Kenny's forms I bought of him and it is amazing. I built my own recurve forms but I have a cutting disease where I cannot cut a straight line lol so after 3 failed attempts at a longbow form I called Kenny once again he is the Man

[bobzila]

Kenny my last attempt i cut out a half template and used a belt sander to make it all nice then just used the router to do all the cutting on the form but the router ended up heating and rolling the edge of my template witch was about 3 mil thick.

[JamesV]

I use a sharp (new) carbide bit for this, also after I lay out the profile I use a bandsaw to remove all but about 1/4 inch of wood. This keeps the bit running cool by not having to cut both sides of the form. Not as complicated as it sounds.

[fujimo]

thin mdf makes a great template. easy to hand sand to symmetry- and a nice guide for the router, and do as james suggests

[Tom Leemans]

What James said. Get a good pattern following bit. Just out of curiosity, what H.P. is your router?

[ryguy24000]

Yeah.  What James said!!  Cut with a band saw or even a jig saw first.  Also I make a pass or two with the router before the final cut to avoid taking too much material at once.  take your time.

[kennym]

You gotta have a substantial template. I know from exp. with some 1/4" masonite. Bearing gouged in a soft? place in it and boogered the form. I just made a new template from good 1/4" plywod and moved the template line down enuff to clean up the booger.

Are you using a bearing bit? (pattern bit)

One other tip, when you get your template as slick and smooth as you can, bend a good yardstick(metal) or a pc of .050 glass around the curves. This will show flat spots and dips that I can't see or feel without doing .

Every flat and dip shows up on the finished bow, don't ask how I know!  :D

[bobzila]

Tom i am not sure what H.P. the router is as i borrowed it from a mate.
Kenny i made the template out of masonite but i used a normal cutting bit for the first side and just had the template above the cutting edge on the bar then used a flush trim bit when i turned the form around to cut the other side (then the bearing shattered) i just looked on google and had a look at a patten bit so ill go to the hard wear store and get 1 tomorrow along with some ply wood.
thanks for all your help guys.

[kennym]

I use a pattern bit with the same size bearing, then you just drop the bit on down and run on the just routed surface as a template.

Hope that made some sense!

[Dmaxshawn]

Kenny what size tapers go on the form ?  Or is he going to do that?

I cant remember what I used 001 or 002 and then the laminate on top f that.  

Thanks

[kennym]

It depends on if you put a taper under the riser. If .002, then reverse a .002 on the form so the riser still fits.

Anymore, I just make the form ,then fit the riser to it and figure out the radius with the lams under it and mark on the form with 29" R or whatever it is. Then cut the riser on a swing jig on bandsaw, sand on disc sander and go.

[cowboyup_again]

Kenny whatdo you mean by 29" R?  What does R mean?

[Cuban Missile]

Just an abbreviation for Radius...  I think

[Robertfishes]

I used a router table and a 2" flush trim bit with a bottom bearing to make the 2 forms I have..I used a template just like Kenny shows on his web site for my 58" bingham design recurve form. I got a template from Kenny for his 62/64" R/D longbow and made a super nice form using it. Any small digs I had in the surface I filled in with bondo then I glued a 040 piece of black glass onto form..like others said I cut the form close to line then used a drum sander on my drill press to sand to within 1/8" or less of the line then I used the router and template to cut to final shape, The router seems to work best when your just taking a little wood off, in other words I don't think it's best to use router to hog off the form wood..use the bandsaw and 3 Inch drum sander for that

[Robertfishes]

this is a pic of my KennyM 62/64 form you can see the straight line and center lines I drew for the template, the "L" and "R" are for left and right..so I dont confuse left and right lam placement during glue up..