Trilam Handle Question

[KenH]

I've been enjoying Roy & Bue's trilam build, and love the result, guys. 

But I wonder.  Can a Trilam like that have a forward handle?  If so, I would imagine it would have to be a lot shorter than 12"-13". 

[Buemaker]

I have not tried it, but if the handle section could be glued under the backing strip I guess it could be done. The handle section do not have to be shorter, but would need a gradual thickness taper that goes into nothing, so it could flex.
If the handle was glued on top of all lams I guess it could pop off, but who knows.
Have to try it sometime.

[Roy from Pa]

I'm not so sure if it would be a good idea. I know it would not work for my trilams due to the fact I make my belly and core lams up with a Z splice. So the riser glued onto the belly side gives the Z splice a lot of support for my trilams.

Now if using full length belly and core lams, I can see where it could work maybe. But you would need to be very careful with how much wood you removed for you grip.

All you can do is try, but I would shoot for a light draw weight bow:)

[buddyb]

KenH this has been going through my mind for a while now as well. I've come to the conclusion that if you run the back lam over the riser it should work. I'll be trying it later this summer with a hickory backing strip. To me it wouldn't be any different than running a piece of fiberglass over the back....just my opinion though, the proof will be in the pudding this summer.

[Forwardhandle]

I think BayouBen made one last year or so and posted I haven't herd from him in a while but he liked it !

[fujimo]

I have 2 of Roys bows, and they are awesome- my treasures!
i love shooting with them.
but i do also have a forward handle hybrid type bow made for me by my mate Ben, i dont see him on here anymore, but he went by the handle  "little Ben"
anyway its a hickory, hickory and Ipe trilam.
But like roy says, he used one piece lams.
It too is a great bow!! nice to shoot.
i think its 46# at 28" , so its about 57# at my draw

[buddyb]

This is what I want to try but no fiberglass. KenH ss this what your talking about when you said reverse?

I took this picture from Ari_Bonn's post in powwow, it is a JDBerry Morningstar

[fujimo]

i think that would work fine if you had the backing lam running up the fades, your core and belly could still be spliced, but i would just have a powerlam  overlay on the belly to hide the splice and to help take some of the shear forces that will be in play on the fades.
worth a try i say!

[Roy from Pa]

Wayne..
i think its 46# at 28" , so its about 57# at my draw

Maybe 52 or 53 at your draw.

[fujimo]

darn..
 not as tough as i thought i was
just doing a quick calc as i typed- and we all know boys cant multitask.
 was going from 28" to 31.5" at roughly 3# per "

i really should put it on the scale, i have it tuned and i just shoot it.

[KenH]

BuddyB -- that's pretty much what I was thinking, just more of a rounded Ottoman Turkish shape like these:

[buddyb]

You should go ahead and give it a try. 

[fujimo]

heres a close up of "little Bens" bow.
it has that handle kinda like what Ken was referring to

[KenH]

I see what you mean about the back lam going over the handle.  Should be do-able.  May have to give that a try.  Got nothin' to lose but scrap wood, right?