Take down recurve - build along

Bradford · February 11, 2012, 06:06:00 PM

So I am building this bow for a friend at work. He wants a 65 to 70lb take down recurve. I said "what the hey!"

First, picking out the wood. I found this nice piece of Honduras Rosewood and some fiddle back maple:

I laminated the fiddle back by gluing three pieces together with smooth on:

Then cut up some of the Rosewood. A slice for the veneer and then pieces for the accents. I glue the accents onto the bottom of the maple with tightbond three... just little drops. This keeps it together while I cut my pattern.

Bradford · February 11, 2012, 06:10:00 PM

Then I made up 1/4" thick piece of rosewood @ 2" and a 1/4" thick of maple @ 2".. glued them together with tightbond lightly and made my decoration cut for my veneers:

Added in some accent stripes and glued it all up firm. The drum sanded it all smooth and cut it into 2 pieces about 1/8" thick.

I have the first part of the handle in the oven. And am waiting for 80 grit paper for my drum sander so finish up the lams.

More to come this weekend!

BrushWolf · February 11, 2012, 06:49:00 PM

Looks like a great start.

Bradford · February 11, 2012, 07:22:00 PM

Here is the first part of the riser glue up. I took it out and and cleaned it up:

Then I cut the limb pad areas:

So now I am lightly gluing the other piece of rosewood onto the bottom of the riser.. then will cut my second accent piece.. will glue that up tomorrow.

Roy from Pa · February 11, 2012, 07:52:00 PM

Very sharp..

Dmaxshawn · February 11, 2012, 08:52:00 PM

Looks awesome

JJB · February 11, 2012, 09:13:00 PM

Looking good

SportHunter · February 11, 2012, 09:26:00 PM

Looks great, nice choice of woods & design.

Over&Under · February 11, 2012, 09:45:00 PM

Great wood combo...and your details are spot on.

KellyG · February 11, 2012, 10:07:00 PM

Man bradford I love your builds and bows. Where the heck have ya been?

Bradford · February 11, 2012, 10:09:00 PM

Thanks guys... I am SOOOOOO excited about this bow. The really cool thing is I know the guy I am building this for is going to use the living >>>> out of it..LOL.

He hunts everything along with club shoots and such. This will be his first recurve.

Everything is really coming together good so far. This is the first bow I have built using my new (used) drum sander and oscillating spindle sander. What a difference those two tools make. So much more accurate.

Can't wait till tomorrow to do more.

Thanks again everyone!

Bradford · February 11, 2012, 10:12:00 PM

Hey Kelly.. My damn Arthritis set in hard there for a few month... there fore depression sits in. Nothing worse than being 40 and not being able to do the things you love.

I snapped out of it and started building again. Also working on a guitar for the first time also. Wish we had a general wood building section on this site...hehehe.

I am also building another one piece recurve for another friends daughter of 14. Doing purple heart and zebra wood. Will post that one on a different thread in a couple of days.

Thanks for the kind words buddy and hope your daughter is still getting use out of her bow.

Ranger44 · February 12, 2012, 12:52:00 PM

Thanks for doing the build a long Bradford. It looks great. All the buid a longs here are what got me started and keep me coming back. I really enjoy seeing all the talent here.

Bradford · February 12, 2012, 10:51:00 PM

Alright.. got some more done today:

First cut the second half of the accent.

Then got it glued up

Also took some time to make a new limb form. I have been meaning to do this for some time. Just a tad different angle and a bit more recurve at the tip

Then glued up a couple of pieces of phelonic for the limb pad areas. Just a bit more insurance that this thing will handle the high poundage.

So tomorrow night will be general shaping of the riser.. really looking forward to it!

Trux Turning · February 12, 2012, 11:06:00 PM

Wow-really looking good!!

Bradford · February 14, 2012, 12:36:00 AM

Thank you all for the kind words.

Got a little more done tonight.. I am a man on a mission:

Got the general shape cut out and used the oscillating spindle sander to clean it up:

Then cut out the window and started to radii the shelf

Using my trusty dremel tool.. started the "trench". I am getting excited.. it starting to look like a bow!

I use a depth gauge so I know when to stop sanding out the trench.. now I gotta do the other side tomorrow night and start shaping the handle.

BrushWolf · February 14, 2012, 06:47:00 PM

Cant wait to see it rounded up.Thats always my favorite part of the build.

Bradford · February 15, 2012, 11:28:00 PM

Alrighty.. got some more sanding and shaping done... I am really diggin' this wood!

Dmaxshawn · February 16, 2012, 07:53:00 AM

coco is going to make that riser pop. Looking good.

Bradford · February 17, 2012, 07:49:00 PM

All right. After a disagreement with my drum sander (the drum sander won by the way.. my finger and thumb are black and blue)

Got the lams prepped up and layed out and finished up the form:

Got it glued up and is sitting in the oven. Should be able to pull it out around 8pm pst.

I wanted to do so much more, but my hand is throbbing. I was making wedges using my drum sander and I think I put it in backwards.. it kicked it straight out and wacked my thumb and forefinger. I am so lucky not to have ended up with a broken thumb.