Handle thickness question?

[John Malone]

I'm working on a 72 t2t red oak flat bow 1.5 inches wide hoping to end up at #50. A one inch wide handle seems to be the norm at 1.5 inches deep. If I make the handle deeper say 2 1/8 how narrow would you go. I want to put a nice radius through the handle area so I don't have to build it out with leather and such, smallest arrow to strike plate contact point without match sticks and 1/4 inch leather. Hope that makes sense. I don't mind leaving it 1 inch at the widest so guess I'm asking what do you guys use as general dimensions on that type of handle, Hill style I guess you call it? Would like to go narrow as possible but still be well within the safe zone. Say one inch at the widest then narrow to 7/8 front and back 2.1250 deep?

[BMorv]

Why not cut in an arrow shelf?  Just make sure you don't cut too much into the fades and don't go all the way to center and you should be okay.  You'll get more of a feel for how far you can go and how thick you need the handle after you do a few.  
 
You can go a little narrower if you go thicker but I find 1" is about the smallest that feels comfortable in my hand, especially if you round it off.  

You have a lot of flexibility in the handle area.  I find that's where most of the bowyers make their mark.  Look at a few styles and find one you like and then try and replicate it while matching it to your hand.  I draw out my handles to scale to get an idea of what it will look like before I start cutting on wood.

[John Malone]

My last attempt at a shelf didn't work out to good. Think I will keep cutting teeth on the simpler designs. Don't have lots of experience shooting these though always been a recurve with big riser guy.Ill cut it one inch then round it out until it looks not to dangerous. I have tons of scrap pine might whittle out a couple proto types to see how they feel. My set of TBBs came in so been doing some reading. Today its 31 degrees out there good to read by the fire, how's the weather on the bayou.
 Thanks BMorv.

[BMorv]

It's actually been pretty cold so far this winter.  We had snow earlier this month.  So weird to see the palmettos with snow.  The 1st time in about 10 years.  
It's pretty nasty out today, 40's and windy.  
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[John Malone]

We have some below average temps as well. Its not windy or wet so I feel better now LOL. I remember it snowing down there once when I was a kid barely a dusting and every thing shut down. Now that I think about it probably a good thing some of those old bridges on the back roads couldn't have handled the extra 10 pounds of weight.
That's a nice pic by the way.

[Bowjunkie]

40's? Lucky you. It was 0 here this morning.