How short can I go on a BHO tri-lam?

[ffdiggs]

Been awhile, but I'm back at it. Built a Bamboo/Hickory/Osage tri lam, (R/D design) its 64 3/4" txt, coming in at roughly 45lbs at 28". Was shooting for at least 50lbs. Didn't know if it would be worth shortening a little or let well enough alone. It would have been heavier but the tiller got squirrely on me. Is it possible to flip the tips at this stage?

[SportHunter]

Piking it would get you close to your desired weight but if it shoots sweet you might want to leave it alone and build another. The 45 pounders are really a great weight bow to have around and also good for refining shooting technique.

[Pat B]

No flipping the tips now and you could shorten to 62" for a 28" draw but like SportHunter said, why not leave this one as is and make another.

[Bowjunkie]

How much shorter you can feasibly go depends on some design factors... current profile, length of stiff handle section and working limb length, whether it's taken any set yet and where, etc. I've made trilams as short as 58" ntn and over 60# @ 28".

I wouldn't use heat to bend them, but if the limbs are down to working limb thickness, you could reflex the outer limbs more by cutting into the limb with a bandsaw creating a kerf through the limb, and then gluing in a short lam of appropriate thickness to fill the void, bending into more reflex during glue up. Whether it's a practical thing to do is a judgement call on each bow.

[ffdiggs]

yeah I think I will leave good enough alone, it seems to be shooting good, looks like I may have small issue with a splinter raising on the back in bamboo, sanded it out and put some super glue on it hope it holds.

[ffdiggs]

64 3/4" ttt., 1 1/4" tapered to 1/2", Bamboo 1/8 to 1/16, 13" osage power  lam, hickory core w/taper, osage belly, cocabola tip overlays

[takefive]

Looks nice    

[Pat B]

I have one I built in 2007, "Trouble Maker", 53#@26", 61" t/t(so 58" n/n). Her name tells a long story of trouble before this bow was finished. She started out as a hickory backed ipe but shortly became boo backed, hickory core with an ipe belly. The bow is 1" wide at the handle out to id limb then tapering to 3.8" tips.