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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: knuklhed on January 12, 2021, 09:16:26 PM

Title: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 12, 2021, 09:16:26 PM: Gents, what do you think? This here is my latest attempt at a tri lam. My thoughts are that it has a little flat spot mid limb on the right hand side as you are looking at it (top limb), and maybe a wee bit of a hinge at the riser on that side, too. Anything else? Thanks, I appreciate the advice. Roger
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 12, 2021, 09:18:38 PM: Oh, and unbraced and braced pics, too.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Flem on January 12, 2021, 11:12:46 PM: I am surprised how much you got that bending right thru the handle. Looks like all your bend is in the middle 50% of the bow. How does it feel to shoot?
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 13, 2021, 02:59:03 PM: Looks like it could be a tad thin right outside of the riser on the right limb.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 13, 2021, 03:03:06 PM: The left limb has a nice arc at the riser, right side seems to bend a little abruptly there.
Also the right limb tip is down further than the left.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: onetone on January 13, 2021, 03:46:38 PM: A tiller board member that is divided into a grid of accurately aligned 3” squares really helps with visual comparison of drawn bow limbs.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Mad Max on January 13, 2021, 04:27:42 PM: Quote from: onetone on January 13, 2021, 03:46:38 PM
A tiller board member that is divided into a grid of accurately aligned 3” squares really helps with visual comparison of drawn bow limbs.

x2---mine are 2" squares
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 13, 2021, 05:15:40 PM: Thanks, all, for the feedback so far. Flem, I didn't intend for it to bend through the handle. I mucked up, I think, when I used a chunk of mulberry that a friend gave me for the riser. It looked like a nice warm color so I thought I'd use it for looks. But what I didn't know at the time was that it is quite a weak wood. I'm contemplating cutting it off and redoing the riser. It has not been shot yet, I have been leery of cutting any shelf in. What do you guys think, cut it off and salvage the limbs while I can? (Oh, and I'll spend some time gridding with my dry erase marker soon.)
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 13, 2021, 05:29:14 PM: I've removed a riser and put a new one on.

Just be super careful and stop when ya get to the glue line, then slowly clean that up.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 13, 2021, 06:47:31 PM: So, Mr. Roy, you think that's my best course of action? Work up a more rigid riser, and try again? I've got some hard maple, or some laminated actionwood type blocks.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 13, 2021, 07:56:00 PM: Well it looks like your limb is already hinging a little so a new riser isn't going to fix that.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Flem on January 13, 2021, 08:51:52 PM: Go for an ELB full draw tiller. You are already part way there :)
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 20, 2021, 09:01:02 PM: try, try again. I cut off the previous riser, and made a new one from hard maple. The gizmo shows a little flat spot on the mid right, or upper limb, and down near the tips on both sides. A little more work to do, I think. What do you guys think, a bit better? I sure am hoping I can make it fling an arrow, so far it's about at my target weight of 47#. (I could live with a little less, too.)
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 21, 2021, 04:02:19 AM: Tiller looks very good to me.

I would just touch the flat spot a little, don't worry about those tips coming around, they are good right there.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 21, 2021, 09:44:53 AM: Thank you for the help. I'll be sure to post another picture or two after I'm done.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 21, 2021, 10:14:04 AM: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Flem on January 21, 2021, 11:04:40 AM: I'm really curious to know how your bow feels in the hand when shooting.
Can't help thinking it's got to have some feedback with the current tiller?
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Shredd on January 21, 2021, 12:23:33 PM: If you are willing to take some advice from a guy that feels he just barely scraped the tip of the iceberg on bow making...

I think your limbs are bending fairly nice it is the fade area that is questionable...

The fade area is the most stressed part of the limb... It is a transition area where bending meets unbending... It is the base of the limb which has the most torque and stress on it... It has to be strong and virtually unyielding but still has to give a little... Better to be a bit stiff off the fades than a bit weak... A bout an inch from the fades should start your your noticeable bend and unless you have a funky unstrung profile, that limb should have a consistent bend up until about the 3/4 mark at which it should start gradually flattening out, being damn near stiff the last 3 inches... The more consistent that bend is the better performance you should have... That's why the Gizmo is a good tool for some of you guys...

I personally stay away from a straight limb at brace for a number of reasons... I like a little bit of bend in my limbs at brace with a straight or slight reflex at the last 1/4 of limb at brace....

What is the angle coming off your fades when the bow is unstrung..??
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 21, 2021, 01:03:47 PM: The problem is, he put on a very long riser after removing the first riser.

My concern is the riser popping off now.

I rasp off the edges of the riser in about 4 inches to make it not so blocky.

If that deflex is inherent from your form, you may be ok.

Flem had a point making it a bend through the handle bow.

Maybe just a 6 inch thinner riser at your grip area may have been better?
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 21, 2021, 01:38:23 PM: The deflex is from the form (see picture), which is why the initial impression might have been of a bend through the handle. I'll be rasping in like Roy mentioned to soften
the edges. And, crossing my fingers the first hundred or so arrows?
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 21, 2021, 02:05:01 PM: :thumbsup:

You may be ok, did you tiller for equal limb timing?
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Shredd on January 21, 2021, 02:43:25 PM: I just noticed the pic with the new handle section... I thought it was one of the older pics and somehow skipped right over that post... Looks much better...
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Shredd on January 21, 2021, 03:46:24 PM: Quote from: Roy from Pa on January 21, 2021, 01:03:47 PM
The problem is, he put on a very long riser after removing the first riser.

My concern is the riser popping off now.

I see your point... My post was just some general guidelines to follow... Tri-lams are a little out of my expertise...
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 21, 2021, 04:04:31 PM: No problem Rich..

It's all good..
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Flem on January 21, 2021, 04:14:11 PM: Now I see! It's no wonder your full draw profile looks so circular, the handle is curved. Still curious how it feels to shoot.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 21, 2021, 05:12:22 PM: Roy, I did try for equal limb timing.
Flem, I may be a poor judge of its shootability, I'm not that experienced an archer, tbh.
And, Shredd, any knowledge I can get, I'll take!

I'll be hacking away on the handle more Saturday. After I get the rest cut, and a rough shape, I'll fling an arrow or two.

Thanks again!
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 21, 2021, 05:36:27 PM: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 24, 2021, 11:14:19 AM: An update, I got the riser fairly well shaped yesterday, and took a full draw and riser picture this morning. (I left the mulberry cap on the back, as a reminder.) It seems to cast an arrow ok. It will take more time to judge whether I can call it a success. I'll need it to warm up and melt some snow before I can get outside to shoot at a little bit longer distance.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 24, 2021, 11:25:55 AM: Nice...

Love the knotty wood on the wall too:)
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Shredd on January 24, 2021, 11:38:08 AM: Sweet... Good luck with her...
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Flem on January 24, 2021, 12:28:35 PM: Heck yeah thats a success :thumbsup:
Might not be perfect, but then again I've never seen perfect.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 24, 2021, 01:04:18 PM: Thanks for the kind words! I hope I can get in front of a suicidal deer with it this coming fall. Buries a 600ish grain arrow 8" or so into my block, so I hope it has enough oomph. I never did post any description of what my build entailed, so - 63" ntn, 64" oal, with a .220" quarter sawn osage belly, .140" elm core, and .140" hickory back. with .002 in./in. taper on the core and back. And a 16 1/2" hard maple riser (cut to center) to replace the mulberry. Pulls 47# @ 28. I need to do some more finish sanding, and decide what I will do to finish it. I'm leaning towards a dark stain, and a matt clear over it. Probably won't get sprayed for a while, 'till it's over 50* outside.

Oh, Roy, that's knotty alder paneling in my basement.
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 24, 2021, 02:42:58 PM: Now where did you learn all that info?:)

63" ntn, 64" oal, with a .220" quarter sawn osage belly, .140" elm core, and .140" hickory back. with .002 in./in. taper on the core and back. And a 16 1/2" hard maple riser

LOL good choice
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: knuklhed on January 24, 2021, 04:35:42 PM: no denying that's a page out of the Mr. Roy trilam book. :readit:
Title: Re: Experienced eyes?
Post by: Roy from Pa on January 24, 2021, 04:44:12 PM: :thumbsup: