first laminated bow

[Al Dean]

I am making a Bingham TD longbow with pronounced limbs.  I have had a couple hickups along the way but have been lucky enough to work past them.  I am basically at the finish stage.  I have 1/8 inch positive tiller.  I don't know if I should sand the upper limb glass to get a little more than that or not.  Also the bow at this point is 46@28 and 50@30.  exactly what I was shooting for but the limb tips are 11/16 wide.  A little more than I wanted.  The opinions I am looking for are on the tiller and the limb tips.  Am I good the way they are or do I need to fine tune things some more.  Thanks for any input.  Oh and I am retiring at the end of the year and this is something for a hobby for me.

[JamesV]

Al..............

1/8th positive tiller is what I shoot for but I like my limb tips a bit more narrow. 7/16-3/8 Are you using overlays on your tips?

[Crooked Stic]

Yes 1/8th tiller is good for split finger. I would take the tips down to 1/2 at the string grooves. To do that without loosing too much weight would be start tapering the tips by starting back on the outer third of the limb and take equal amoumts off of each side out to the tip. What you loose in mass and poundage you will pickup in performance. Then when you do the next bow you can add a bit of core material and taper from fade to tip correctly to get your weight to work out.

[Al Dean]

Thanks, I am putting overlays on the tips.

[Al Dean]

Well I test shot the bow this morning.  I am very pleased with how it shot.  I took the limb tips down to 1/2" at the string grove starting from the fades as suggested.  The bow came in right on target, 45@28 and 50@30.  I have had some issues along the way but all were corectable except my last.  I put  2 phenolic overlays on the tips but cut mostly through the top one for the string grooves.  I see on my other bows they put a piece of wood on top off the phenolic to cut string grooved in.  Not a big deal but I will probably not use high preformance string on this bow.

[Al Dean]

Have to put finish on now.  Shot first in case a little more tweeking was needed.

[JamesV]

You can still add to the top of the tips, use Super glue, no biggie.