siyahs and stuff
After being given the advice of not doing a composite bow as my first project, I have decided to make a recurve that looks like one, but I have a few questions, first is, would I cut the stave to the shape the bow is when unstrung? And about the Siyahs, from more research I've done and pictures I have seen, in most of them it seems that the siyahs are seperate pieces that have been glued on to the limbs, is this so?
How thick would someone think the bow stave would have to be in order to get a 35# bow at the most, and could anyone give me a link to someplace that might have drawings/plans for these types of bows?
My advice to you would be to make a straight bow before tempting recurves which are more difficult to make and to tiller and also have more stress on their limbs which makes them prone to breakage and string follow.
In any case, recurve are not cut into their unstrung profile but rather bent into this shape, either by steaming or dry heat, or else made of thin laminations forced into their final shape when glued to each other.
You can find mountain of information in the Bowyer's Bible (3 volumes) which will help you to build your first projects.
In any case, recurve are not cut into their unstrung profile but rather bent into this shape, either by steaming or dry heat, or else made of thin laminations forced into their final shape when glued to each other.
You can find mountain of information in the Bowyer's Bible (3 volumes) which will help you to build your first projects.
Thank you for the advice. I probably should try making a regular flatbow before a recurve and a composite to gain experience. I will definitely get the three volumes of the bowyers bible. But in the spirit of curiosity, I still would like to know if the Siyahs on an Asiatic bow are seperate pieces that have been glued on in the process of making a stave, and if the heavily reflexed C shape of an unstrung composite bow is a result of stringing it up during the drying process of the glue used on the horn and sinew. Thank you again.
Yes, usually siyahs are separate pieces that are V spliced into the wooden core of the bow.
The heavily reflexed shape (not that much reflexed on a tibetan bow) comes from the natural reflex shape of the horn glued on the belly + the drying of the sinew on the back.
The heavily reflexed shape (not that much reflexed on a tibetan bow) comes from the natural reflex shape of the horn glued on the belly + the drying of the sinew on the back.