I have a quick question about a how-to on Deans BBO before glue up.

[Kevin Breaux]

I have made a few of Dean's BBO bows, but I got to thinking. After the glue up on the hunting R/D hunting bow and before gluing the handle on, as the bow comes off the forms it does lose a little set. So I was wondering, after the glue up of the "Z" cut and before gluing up the bamboo to the belly stock, did you every try to apply the belly stock to the form and then use a heat gun on the belly stock alone and induce the R/D before the bamboo glue up? After the belly stock has the R/D then glue up the bamboo to the belly stock.

I do think it would be risky for the "Z" splice without having the support of the bamboo but with enough heat it should take and hold, right?

Does anyone think this is worth trying to get the most of the R/D out of the bow?

[Tom Leemans]

I can't answer conclusively but I don't feel it's worth the trouble. They perform so nice as they are. You could always elevate the tips a bit more on the form and not mess with heating things up. I suppose the trade-off is in the ease of tiller there. You're never going to hold 100% of the profile from the form but I believe that's all factored in to the dimensions in the first place.

[Java Man]

Lots easier to just add more reflex during the glue up where you can control things better.

[Pat B]

You will get better proformance if you add the reflex during glue up(Perry reflex). By doing that you put the back in to compression and the belly in to tension.
  When I glue up a backed bow with Perry Reflex, I'll clamp the handle area down(backing and belly wood) and lift the tips up on to blocks. Then I use spring clamps, working from the handle out to the tips, every inch or so to the ends(about 15 per limb).   Pat

[Kevin Breaux]

I'm doing the same Pat and thanks for the info!

[Skinny Little Runt]

Kevin, if you could post some detail and outcome that would sure help newbies like me. I'm trying to get up the nerve to glue up my first. Good luck and thanks for sharing.
Chuck

[Kevin Breaux]

While we are on the subject of glue ups, after urac ing the belly stock and bamboo together, and after the drying time, has anyone had a reoccurring problem of the (outside) of the "Z" slice splitting ever so slightly (just under the bamboo running parallel with the back for a 1/4" or so?  I have always been able to heat it up and use cyanoacrylate for that gap fill experience  

[kcdaniels]

Kevin,
I have had that problem of z splice splitting from time to time,I just heat up the handle area and clamp down and let cool then go on with my glue up.

Here is a link to a glue up I did online awhile back, the bow is finished now just haven't found the time to up date with the finished bow.

Hope this helps,
Dan

[Kevin Breaux]

kcdaniels where is that link  

[kcdaniels]

Duh!  :confused:  Don't you hate it when that happens  :D  

http://community.webshots.com/user/kcdaniels

Dan

[Pat B]

...also, some will glue up the slat and back and wrap with inner tube bands, then bend to shape and put in a form. I've not tried that yet, but I think that's how Marc St Louis does it.    Pat

[AkDan]

yall make that stuff look entirely too easy.  Great pics KC!!!!  

How are you getting the lams for the composites?

[Tom Leemans]

Excellent build-a-long pics!

[rocdoc]

I use the innertube wraps for my bbo reflexed bows and get great glue lines.  I have not tried it on my R-D bbo's because I'm afraid it would be difficult to get a good contact bond in the 'transition' area of the bow.....if someone else has had success whith  it though, I might try it....sure hate moving that form into the hotbox with all those clamps on it ;-)

[rocdoc]

Dan.....I just checked out your build-along.  Love that hot-box set up!!!  I had back surgery last year and it's all I can do to lift my form, bow and clamps and put it into my box.  

My next project......user friendly hot box ;-)

[kcdaniels]

rocdoc , Yea I have back trouble also plus just did not have the room to store a 80" box lol,It works great and was easy to make!

Dan