A few questions about laminations

[arachnid]

Hello Fellas.

I feel like I have a lot of info but it`s not well organized in my head. So I`d like to ask some questions, following some older posts I`ve read here and on other forums:

1) I understand that the more wood lams you have between the glass- the better. I`ve read about some guys using 7 or even 10 lams.
What will be a good "standard" number of wood lams for bows up to 60#? I use 3 wood lams (1 tapered, 2 parallel).

2) How much does the grain orientation matters (I mainly use maple) ? I`ve been told that the core needs to have straight grain, but what if I use, say, 4 lams with different grain orientations and glue them in opposite directions? How important is grain oriantation in a glass lam bow?

3) What`s you take about using Stabil-kore or the like? Will a D/R longbow benefit from it and how?
Will it make the bow more durable and compensate for bad grain orientation (if there is such a thing)?

4) When using stabil-core, does it count as another core lam? Does it add draw weight like a wood lam? How do I calculate it in the limb stack?

That`s all for now.... there`s TONS of info online, too bad it`s not concentrated and organized in one place....

Thanks in advance

Dor

[monterey]

1.  I'm not sure that more is better but I adjust my lams to be manageable in the lay up process.  In 60" DR builds.  Forty lb bows have two tapers and one parralel.  Sixty# same design has two tapers and two parralel.  If veneers are added for aesthetics that's two more lams and there is also one layer of stabilcore.

2. I don't think grain orientation is important as long as the entire lam has structural integrity

3. All my DR builds include stabilcore.  The limbs are noticeably torsionally stiff.  I don't know if durability is enhanced.  It will take a long time to determine that and it would still be uncertain conclusions.

4. I'm sure that stabilcore changes draw weight to the extent that it adds to the stack.  Stabilkore adds .016 to the stack.  If you are trying to match draw weight of a previous build with stabilcore added then you should reduce the core lam stack by the .016 thickness of the stabilcore.

I don't think it adds any draw weight other than by it's contribution to stack thickness.

[arachnid]

Thanks Monterey.
 "as the entire lam has structural integrity"
Explain please- How do you "judge" structural integrity if not by grain oriantation?

Where should I place the Stabil-core in the stack?

Is there a benefit for using 2 tapers instead of 1 taper (As I do it- one .003" taper + 2 parallels)?

[monterey]

I just mean sound wood.  Also no thin spots or uneven grinding.

I put the stabilcore on the belly side under a parallel lam.  No reason, it just makes a nice black accent line in the limb edge.  I don't know if there might be advantages to various placements.

I don't think there is any benefit to two over one.  I use two so Kenny won't damage his sleds getting too thin towards the tips.    

All this is just my opinion.  Others will differ and might have very good reasons for what they do.

Lots of ideas and thoughts on bow building but very little hard science.