Opinions on my bow design (brace and full draw)

[bornofmud]

So, this is actually the third bow I've made off this form (Third ever actually haha).  Here's the info:  68" NTN, 22" riser, .004 taper, limbs start at 1.25", taper to .5", and there are tip wedges.  I increased the taper on this bow in an attempt to move more of the bend to the mid limb, but I'm thinking that a powerlam would also be a good idea.   Maybe a powerlam that extends ~2.5 inches past the fades?  

I'm very happy with how it came out though, the increased taper and tip wedges definitely gave it a boost in performance over the first 2.  Any opinions would be much appreciated! Thanks!!

   


   

[MoeM]

Looks nice- but first it reminded me of my
   hybrid  
- in my opinion it`s too long to take the benefits of such a pronounced profile.
The string angle looks like it has a max draw about 40".
I guess it`s super smooth and not too slow anyway- so if it works and feels good I wouldn`t change a thing- except piking the next inch by inch and see what happens if you`re interested in the results!

P.S. a picture of the unstrung/strung bow taken from the side would give a clearer view

[halfseminole]

Holy cats, you've made a bow with a draw long enough for me (at 36".)  If only fixed income made enough money to make you an offer on it.  

It looks gorgeous.  I wish I could turn out bows that look half that good.

[bornofmud]

Thanks, and yes, I was thinking that as well. The first I made was 63", and it still has a good amount of room before I get to 90 degrees. I'll try the next one the same as this but 64" to try and get more out of the profile. Also, my draw is about 29.25". I'll get those pictures up here in a moment!

Also, your hybrid is awesome!  I looove the riser, wanted to try that myself (i really like that bear superk look), might give it a go on this next one!  What is your riser length and ntn length on that beauty?

[MoeM]

The bow measures 58" ntn unstrung und has a 20" riser- that is 3 1/4" deep. The total stack for 35# is only 1/4" including 2x0.04 glass, quite light limbs and the mid heavy riser made it very stable and vibration free- yes I love the bow too  
Dunno if it`s really a longbow but it does not have to be afraid of any recurve I shot yet....

[bornofmud]

Nice, I think I'm going to borrow your ratio for that bow...just calculated it to 63.8" for my 22" riser, so seems like my 64" will work well! Thanks for the info!  Here's the braced and unbraced shots:

 

 

[bornofmud]

Also, what's your draw length?  Maybe I should even go to 62".  I'll just play around with it with temp nocks, don't think I'll want to dip much below 62" with this design, or at least not without increasing the thickness taper.

And your draw weight seems similar to mine.  I have a .31 wood stack with .04 glass and am pulling about 55#@29.25".

[Crooked Stic]

What is your deflex to reflex ratio? What I am seeing is too much deflex.

[bornofmud]

That's what I thought too, thus was hoping to correct it with a powerlam.   From the peak of the riser, it deflexes 4 inches to the lowest point in the limb, then reflexes back up 3.5 inches at the nock.  

From the end of the fades, it deflexes 2 inches, then reflexes back to 1.5 inches above the fades (again, 3.5 inches from the low point of the limb, or .5 inches from the peak of the riser).

Doesnt sound like to much in writing, but it seems to be taking a lot of the bend right where the riser ends.

[LittleBen]

You're a tall lanky one aren't ya!? Even with that draw length you could go shorter.

I think 64" sounds nice. I only draw 25" and also like the benefits of a longer bow. I prefer to shoot 64".

[MoeM]

Morning,
Your riser looks very sharp dude!
I usually draw ~30" with real pistol grip, so far drawn on the pic on p.2.
The deflex really seems a bit too much for such a long bow, I agree with crooked stic! (but I bet it is very smooth and stable)

[Crooked Stic]

To start I would play with power lams to move the bend more toward the tip. I think 3-1 ratio is good 1 in. deflex 3 in reflex as an example. So that means you would need to flatten the riser angle.

[bornofmud]

Alright, I'm going to use the same form, but here's how I'm going to do the next one:

62" NTN
.006" taper
22" riser with a 30" powerlam
tip wedges

I think that that will address the 'problems' with this one, at the very least it will be an interesting experiment.  Also, any tips on working with powerlams?  Any issues getting them to fit properly at the riser fades?