How to make a Recurve Bow out of Purple Heart

[@linvyngstoncampos3305]

Muito bom esse arco.

[@tibbar1000]

Pretty work!

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you!

[@DreamcraftBows]

Nice video and bow man!!! Really cool to see purple heart as a bow wood. Would be interesting to see zebrano bow. :) Congrats!

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you! I actually have some zebra wood I will be trying next. Then Wenge and Padauk are on the list.

[@DreamcraftBows]

@@BowtellBows Can't wait to see them! Keep it up man!

[@DanSantanaBows]

Watcha planning for that osage stave I see on the bench?

[@BowtellBows]

I have already finished a Holmegaard inspired bow from that stave and a video will be coming soon I hope.

[@stevenbrumbaugh7253]

Nice job. Bloodwood could make a great bow as well. And as an added bonus, it smells nice when you cut or sand it.

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you! I have worked with bloodwood just a little bit and plan on getting some for a bow eventually. There are a lot of exotic woods to try.

[@stevenbrumbaugh7253]

@@BowtellBows I don't know if you've been there, but a great place to get some of these exotic woods, as well as domestics, is McBeath Hardwoods in Salt Lake. They have a pretty impressive stock of some really nice lumber there. It's worth the trip for sure.

[@BowtellBows]

Funny you should mention that because that is wear I got this piece of wood actually. They have a very nice selection of woods there. I could spend lots of money if left unattended for too long

[@richardbirmingham1586]

Looks like the fibreglass has not been thoroughly infused with the epoxy resin ?

[@BowtellBows]

I added quite a bit but it might have been too cold when I applied it. Not very experienced with fiberglass cloth backings so you might be right.

[@richardbirmingham1586]

@@BowtellBows well done anyway 🙂

[@mikenorris6769]

Great video, I was interested because I've just started a 66" in bow out of elm with two billets that I had, would you say the recurves and fiberglass did give some improved performance? thanks..

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you. The recurves helped for sure but since I didn't put the fiberglass on with any reflex in the bow so the glass doesn't do anything to help performance wise. It just helps it be more robust. I would recommend recurving your elm for sure if you are looking for more performance. Best of luck!

[@davidlewis1585]

Nice!!

[@BowtellBows]

Thanks!

[@richardhoule4389]

Awsome vid man! Funny I just got that same steamer for Xmas! Haven't yet tried recurves. Only straightening staves so far but def looking forward to trying!

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you. It is a very nice steamer and makes my wife happy now that I am not steaming in the kitchen anymore. Good luck with the recurves!

[@이성원-t1t]

What material should I use as a finish to preserve the color of the Purpleheart wood?

[@BowtellBows]

I used teak oil but I will have to ask my customer how it is looking now.

[@jamescyz13579]

Hi really like the video I’m looking at trying to make my first bow I’ve got a pice of purpalheart and I’m going to back it with some bamboo I was wondering what the curve of you’re jig is or doesn’t it matter any advice would be helpful thank u

[@BowtellBows]

The curve doesn't matter too much but I would recommend a gentle curve for your first bow. Purple Heart and bamboo sounds like a great combination! Best advice is go slow but don't be afraid to keep moving forward while making the bow. I would enjoy seeing how your bow turns out. Thanks for the comment

[@peterkozlowski3410]

kinda good

[@BowtellBows]

Thanks

[@knolltop314]

In my experience, EA40 doesn't require hotbox. Room temp for 24 hrs. Good luck with future builds!

[@BowtellBows]

That is true. The instructions say that it can improve the epoxy’s performance if you heat it but it is not required.

[@antoniocomputersbarreto7429]

Where did you get the wood. I do leather work, is my hobby but I would like to try to make my own 🏹 bow. Thank you so much.

[@BowtellBows]

I got the wood from a local exotic wood dealer called MacBeath hardwoods so I could pick out the piece of wood myself. I would say it is okay to order some wood online but unless you are getting it from a bowyer, it is hard to know if it will be safe to make a bow out of. Best if you can find a local exotic hardwood dealer near you. If you are just starting out, there are a lot of other woods that will make wonderful bows that are easier to get a hold of depending on where you live like red oak or maple. Best of luck!

[@BowtellBows]

I haven't tried this but www.bellforestproducts.com sells lumber online and has a special feature where you can hand select your wood by looking at pictures they have of some of their boards. Sadly not all of their lumber has a picture to help you pick out a good bow wood but it is an option.

[@davidlewis1585]

If you use a metal strip to bend with it , it can hold down them splinters lifting up ,something like your ruler,

[@BowtellBows]

That is a really good idea! I have talked to a few other bowyers and they gave similar feedback. I will use it on my next recurve bow. Thank you

[@mattiecreates]

Beautiful work , you just got another Subscriber, ( i know its hard now in days XD ) Really great work man

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you! I appreciate the support and comment.

[@caryr.7089]

Thumbs down from Six folks who wish they had a bad ass how like that! Awesome work man!

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you very much!

[@wendellbailey6394]

Beautiful bow. Well done. Where did you get dimmoisons ECT for making the bow. I would like to try myself.

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you! I used a general flat bow design then added the reflex to the ends for better performance. The bow limbs were two inches wide and the overall length of the bow was 6’ in length. I could have gone narrower on the limbs but I liked how it turned out.

[@isaacmiller4333]

This was great! You did a really good job! I love purple heart bows. What kind of fiber glass cloth do you use?

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you! I used a fiberglass cloth I got from the local auto shop and it seems to do the job. I believe Bondo was the brand I bought but as long as it is woven material it should work. I see the sell woven strips on Amazon that would suit us bowyers better than the sheet I got. When I use fiberglass cloth again, I would go that route.

[@isaacmiller4333]

@@BowtellBows Thank you so much! I saw those on Amazon too. I have built one bow successfully and broken 3 more. I would like to start using something a little cheaper than the rawhide I have been buying and I think that fiber glass would be awesome, and if the tape works just as well it is better because of how cheap it is. How many layers do you use?

[@BowtellBows]

I used only 1 and that should really be sufficient. It is a nice material and will help protect the bow from breaking while being nearly clear when finished. The smooth on epoxy isn’t cheap but those rawhide backings are still more expensive. Once you make a hot box, fiberglass layups are really easy. This is what I would recommend getting or something similar: YIKAI Fiberglass Cloth Tape, Glass Fiber Mesh Joint Tape Plain Weave Reinforcement E-Glass 6 oz, Size 2" Wide by 44 Yards (5cm x 40m) www.amazon.com/dp/B07DDFPGVX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_M6DYSAJ01RK86Y9K461B

[@isaacmiller4333]

@@BowtellBows Thank you so much!

[@jacobwhite8204]

Is the bow backed with anything

[@BowtellBows]

Yes. I backed it with fiberglass cloth using EA-40 epoxy to apply it.

[@jacobwhite8204]

Since purpleheart is is strong in tension could it maybe be used a backing for a wood strong in compression like maybe for a really pretty bow ipe backed with Purple Heart

[@jme104]

We can cleary see that the knocking point is to high .

[@BowtellBows]

Sure can see that now.

[@happykal11]

Purple heart? Never mind draw weight. Only 50lbs? I honestly thought it would be heavier. Whats the weight of bow?

[@aaronwebster3014]

*click* "that may be as far as I go" (goes way further) *CLICK* "that will buff out". Next time, a metal strip on the belly helps prevent this. Do you think you could have gone narrower? I cried when you said fiberglass.

[@BowtellBows]

I didn’t want to do the fiberglass but I did want the bow to be safe. I would do a few things differently if I were to do this again and I like the metal strip idea. How thick of a metal strip do you use and how do you do it?

[@aaronwebster3014]

@@BowtellBows i use a super thin metal ruler. The ruler has a thin cork backing. I jam the ruler inbetween the caul and tip and add a wedge to tighten the fit. My caul has some flat spots to make the clamping easier (not flat spots where the bow touches it, but flat spots on the opposite side.

[@clasicradiolover]

Forgive me for pointing out that this looks like a long bow to me.

[@BowtellBows]

I agree that it is not a recurve but it is a reflex bow. However, I named it a recurve because that was the intent of the bow and most people don’t understand the difference between a reflex and a recurve bow.

[@clasicradiolover]

@@BowtellBows I know the difference in the shape and a recurve is usually shorter. Where did you get the wood? Imagine myself making a takedown recurve of it.

[@BowtellBows]

I got the wood from a local lumber style that sells a few exotic woods. It was the only way I would get woods for a lumber bow because I got to pick it out myself. I would love to hear how your take down bow goes

[@clasicradiolover]

@@BowtellBows a few things I have to finish fixing at my house and I'll do it

[@CloudfeatherRusticWorks]

I've heard that purple heart is great in compression but very brittle when it comes to tension strength? All the bows I've seen of purple heart have been backed with bamboo, hickory, etc...

[@CloudfeatherRusticWorks]

Nevermind. Lol