[darrenulrich]

Hey, Folks!
This is my first post to this (any) forum, so I'm just happy if this gets up and someone talks back!
I'm building my 4th bow. The first 3 have been red oak, and I'm going hickory on this one. It's 68" with an arrow shelf that almost makes it center-shot. I'm planning on kerfing the tips to recurve it. I've got it drawing 50# at 20" now, but I'm noticing the string is drifting about a half inch to the right of the long axis of the bow.
Does anyone know how to bring the string back on-center? Does it have to do with the wood being removed from the sight window causing it to bend asymmetrically? Do I shave the tips to move them to the left, or is there something else?
If anyone has inspiration, I'd really appreciate you sharing on this puzzle!

 

[dkard]

kerfing

To put a static recurve in the tips, do not kerf the limbs. I believe steaming the wood and then bending over a form is the way to do it. I have not done this myself yet but might tryu it on ywe longbow I want to make.

Does your bow have a working grip? The hickory bows I have made I made with a non working grip, so what I would do to the grip like a shelf really doesn't affect the limbs. Is it a flat bow or a D cross section?

Not an expert bowyer by any means but I like to play at it. I ahve a nicve piece of Yew and a couple osage staves in the garage just waiting to become bows.

dave

 

[darrenulrich]

The bow's a flatbow with a laminated pistol grip.
INtention is for the grip to be non-working, though it feels like there is a tiny bit of movement in it as I draw it back. I'm wondering if that's contributing to the bow twisting, since there's less wood on the sight window side of the grip. dunno... just looking to fix what's happened for whatever reason.
I'm a little concerned about everything coming out even if I steam bend the tips, and, to tell the truth, I really like sawing things!