DeFlex/ReFlex Longbows

Joe(thebow)M · DeFlex/ReFlex Longbows

While sluffing off at work today (it's pretty slow right now) I decided
to get my things in order to make a "steam tube" so I can try my hand
at putting deflex and reflex in my long bows. I have to wait for Thursday
for my Tea Kettle (3.5 Qt) and propane burner to come in.

I made my steam tube from 2" PVC pipe (84" long) and put weep holes
in the bottom every eight inchs for the moister to drip out as the wood
steams in the tube from the tea-kettle on the propane burner attached
to the end of the PVC pipe with copper to direct the steam into the pipe.
The other end will be capped,,, all slip fittings and no gluing the PVC
together.

(Hope that makes sense)

Anyway I won't actually start this process until Sunday. It's suppose to
be 70+ degrees, (we'll see)... I'll post a picture or two once I get it set
up.

My understanding is that I should rough out the bow before steaming it
and clamping it in the jig I'll make for a reflex/deflex design. I also want
to try putting in an arrow shelf in a few longbows and see how that works
out.

I don't think I can reflex any of the bows I've made so far that I have glued
a backing to using TiteBond III... I think the steam would cause the maple
backing to come off.

Anyway, I'm kind of excited about it. Any suggestions is more then welcome!

Steve B

I have no suggestions as I have no understanding of this stuff Joe(the bow)M, but I will say it sound like an interesting process to give you something extra in your long making, I will be very interested to see the results and hear your comments on how the process goes and if it is all worth while to make the bow a "better shooter" or is so that you can give the bows a different look and therefore purely cosmetic? or maybe even a bit of both.

What ever the reason looking forward to the pics

Joe(thebow)M

It's my understanding that reflexing the limbs will add speed to the longbow.

This information I gathered from the 12 part series, 'The LongBow',,, it was on
the History Channel sometime back and can now be seen on 'You Tube'...

That is what the bowyer suggested on the program in agreement with the
host who was having a longbow made. How much speed one actually
gains, I don't know. And I will admit I like the looks of the reflexed tips of a
longbow. It looks more natural.

pafc1886

Hi Joe,

Assume the bows will be reflex/deflex when unstrung but look take on the usual longbow appearance when strung.

Sounds like a great project - here's wishing you every success with it.

Look forward to seeing your photos.

Les

M Hardman

I have made myself a small steam box, which I use to steam horn and wood etc. It is not a particularly fun or easy process, from my experience.
So, some things to bear in mind:
If you wish to steam and bend a piece of wood, make sure it is well steamed before bending, a thick piece of wood will take much longer to steam than a thin piece. If you do not do this, you might get over entusiastic and break the stave.
Do not dry heat the wood, i.e. make sure the kettle remains full of water
Once steamed, do not stress the bend for a VERY long time. Some people recommend a year, others a month. It depends on how long you want to wait. If you stress it too early the wood will simply just bend again without resisting.
Make sure you steam good wood, i.e. the grain doesn't pop in and out of the wood. I found when steaming some ash billets, that those with poor grain, broke during the bending process where the grain left the stave.
You will find a twisty stave, comes out as a twisty recurved stave, which will do many an odd thing when strung.

If you wish to steam a very thick stave, might I recommend steaming thinner laminations then gluing the laminations back together. This will avoid excess stress on the wood.

Good Luck, may your recurved bows be better than mine!

Joe(thebow)M

Thanks Les. I kind'a look at this as my next step in bow building by a novice. I'm leaning to the idea of that extra speed that is said can be
had in such a design.

Mike, I'm going to rough the bow down so I won't be bending thick limbs. I then plan on a 3/16 inch outer maple backing with a 1/8 inch center ash backing on to the birch. The bow will actually be a flat bow that I have in mind.

I wasn't sure how long a person should wait after steam bending the wood before it takes it set? I was going to play that one by ear so to speak, (trial and error)...

Since you mentioned it I think I will try steam bending 4 bows over one
of these coming weekends and wait 2 months, 4 months, 6 months,
and 8 months, and see which is best. Of course I expect this depends
on the birch I use so I'll make sure the 4 roughed bows are from the same wood.

This will be my 2008 project. (of course I'll sneak in a few longbow builds)