Taper to Parallel ratio

[Troy Breeding]

I know this has been brought before but for some reason I can't find the right thread.

What ratio of parallel to taper do most of you use on recurves and longbows.

For years when I build a TD new recurve I've tried to make the thickness of my tapers as close as possible to twice as much as the parallels. I normally use a .003 taper. I tried to use a .002 taper a few times, but the bows flet sluggish.

On a three piece longbow I try to make the thickness of the parallels slightly more than the taper. On these bows I use .002 tapers.

Troy

[Sam Harper]

I just make longbows.  I use a parallel core, and two tapered laminations, both 0.002 for a total taper of 0.004.  It doesn't matter much to me whether the core or the tapers are thicker.  I don't see what difference it makes when they're all glued together and the glass on the outside is doing most of the work.

[Bowjunkie]

I generally use 3 tapered lams and 1 parallel. The parallel goes on the belly and is generally thinner than any of the tapered ones.

That may seem like a skewed ratio... until you consider the fact that the 2 glass pieces are ground parallel... which makes it even at 3 tapered and 3 parallel.

Even so, even including the glass, if you consider 'thickness ratio' of tapered to parallel pieces... the tapered pieces add up to more overall thickness than the parallel pieces. Somewhere in the neighborhood of .300 vs. .150 Give or take a few thousanths here or there depending on the target weight and action I'm trying to get from the limbs.

Is that what you mean by twice as much?

[jsweka]

In the Hill style longbows I build, I use one 0.002 taper and three parallels.

In the mild r/d I build, I use two 0.002 tapers and two parallels.

You'll get a lot of different answers to this one.

[Troy Breeding]

I've only built two one piece LB's. For the of me I can't remember the stack ratio I used. Guess thats because I'm not into one piece bows.

Bowjunkie,

Yes, I use the glass in my stack ratio and must say my ratio for recurves was off due to not counting it when I made the statement. Must of had a brain #@%# when I posted it. In fact the ratio for recurves would be closer to 55% parallel and 45% taper.

Thanks for straightening me out on that.

Troy

[jess stuart]

The Old Masster Crafter info used to say two tapers and one parallel was a very wise way to build a limb.  I for years used one parrallel usually a .060 and one taper (.002) around .100-.120 which gave me mid fifities to sixties.  That was in a recurve, so I guess count the two strips of glass (.040) the ratio was pretty close to even.  I now usually use two tapers in my recurves.  I am sure there is some difference in how they would shoot but probably not a whole lot.  To much taper and one can have some problems with the limbs wanting to twist on you.

[bjansen]

I never worry about the ratio of tapers to parallels, I just focus on the total taper in each lam stack and the total lam stack thickness (no matter how you figure it).  I typically use about .002 per inch total taper for a recurve, .003 per inch for my R/D longbows, and .006 for a hill style bow.

Of course depending on how thick the stack is, the number of lams varies...I never really use a single lam thicker than .100"

[kennym]

I'm with Brad, I go by the total taper rate.

[Troy Breeding]

On the last recurve I built, the one I posted pics of a few weeks ago. I used a .130/.003 lamboo taper, a .065 lamboo parallel and .040 black glass on both sides.

Final specs were 62" recurve 60#@28" and it's most likely the fastest recurve at that weight I've ever built.

Troy

[kennym]

Why don't more recurves use a .003 taper?

Get the tiller where you want with wider limbs?

No stability?

How did your limbs behave, Troy?

[Troy Breeding]

Kenny,

It was one of the easiest to tiller I've had in a while. Since I don't build for the public (only myself, family and friends) that may not say much).

Total tiller time was maybe 30 minutes after grinding to rough taper.

Troy

[Don Armstrong]

The best shooting recurve I have, made by a well respected bowyer, has all parallels. The bottom limb is 1" shorter than the top. It is dead quiet and shoots great. The four I've made, which have .002 taper, don't shoot as quiet but do shoot about the same speed. Don

[Troy Breeding]

Since switching to .003 tapers I noticed my bows sound output was way less and speed was up.

I know this may make me sould like a speed freek, but not really. I like to shoot heavy arrows and anything that can make their cast better is better for me.

Troy

[kennym]

I think every bow has its own preference of lam assortment. You just gotta find it.

I love those 30 minute tillering jobs!!  

[Troy Breeding]

Kenny,

Thats a big 10-4,,,

I've had bows that have taken several hours to get right.

I'll see on my next bow if this new design turns out as well.

Troy