Form question for the pros

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Hey TG-
So I am back working on my third glass bow which is all out of the oven. The glue lines rock but I have a problem which I had on my other R/D bow. When I glued it all up and put it in the form it comes out crooked. The tips are push just ever to one side or the other. Now when I put the bow blank back on the form the center is off about 1/8 to 3/16 from straight. I looked at my form and it is straight all the way so I know that it is not the form. I think that everything is shifting once I put the air into the hose.

Can you guys give me some advice on locking everything better into place. I had the exact same thing happen to my last R/D. I double checked the form twice and everything is still straight as far as the form is concern.

Has anyone else had this issue and if so how did you rectify it?

Any tips would be appreciated... I also should say that I put washers on each side but some of them bent so maybe that was my demise... I dunno

Thanks for any tip you can provide!

Justin

[Bowjunkie]

I made 3x3" steel plates 1/8" thick with a slot comng in from one edge and slide it down over a 3/8 lag bolt that is screwed into the press. I have 5 of these on each side of the press. They've never bent and they eliminate any lateral movement.

[Mike Most]

I use a lot of strapping tape, but I think the key is airing the hose in 10 lb increments, checking very closely as you go and adjust if you need to. Also making sure the hose is as flat and straight when you put in in the form as you can. (Otherwise it will twist a bit and cause misalignment)Want to know how I know this? Other things clean work area, pre planned, and a dry run are very good things to eliminate that annoyance when you take a cooked bow out and discover, your going to need more $. One other thing the greater the curve in the bow form the more intense the attention to detail in that curve area as that is where it will want to slip...

[Roy from Pa]

Bowjunkie ifin ya have all that steel, then why did one of your glue ups end up on the floor in a pile of Osage dust? LOL

[chackworth3]

I screw in leftover pieces of plywood ever so often down both sides of the form to hold everything in place laterally and clamp the riser down and tape everything down with packing tape, never had any problems with it so far

[kennym]

Only probs I've had with washers , plywood etc on sides was crankin em on with a cordless drill and getting too tight. Kept the glass from laying down when I aired em up, made thick spots at each holder  on limb edges. Won't forget that one!! LOL

[bigbob2]

I use alum. plates same as others but cable ties as per post on your build along.

[kennym]

Oh, you said pros, so strike that statement from the record!!    

Like Mike said , air in small amounts, and if you check it and it don't quite line up, just move the limb tips equal amounts to make it do so. Tips and center of riser need to line up, just ask Roy!

[Dan Bonner]

I do two things to prevent this occurrence. First I wrap the lams in 4 mil painters plastic after glue up and tape them in several spots with strapping tape, tightly. I have holes drilled and spaced periodically in my forms that I run zip ties through and tighten the lams to the form that way. I have had  zero slippage since I started this 5-6 years ago. If your form is wider than your lams like mine are I router out both sides to the width of the lams and then drill my zip tie holes so they are the same width as lams.

Bonner

[Dan Bonner]

Oops. sorry I'm no pro either.

Bonner