Can I sand my entire bow?

[ThePushArchery]

Okay, building our first takedown recurves. Limbs are right at 2" wide, with holes drilled dead center.

Riser is about 1 7/8" wide with holes and inserts drilled dead center. We will be bolting these up tonight for the first time.

So we will have about 1/16" overhang of our limbs on either side of the riser. All extra glue was cleaned off with an orbital and a post sander.

My question is, should I be concerned with sending the bolted up recurve through a thickness sander with the limbs being wider on both sides of the riser? I have nightmares of the bow wanting to twist and deflect since the riser won't be flush on the track until the first couple passes on one side.

Thanks guys.

[johnny girardi]

you cant go through your sander that way. you will have to sand sides of limbs to riser thickness. do you have a belt sander so you can sand one side at a time. are your limbs still square full length? what you should have done is sand limbs and riser to same width before you drilled holes in riser and limbs. take your time im sure you can do it John G

[T Folts]

I sand one side by hand so the limb is even with the riser then I run the whole bow thru with the new sanded side down and clean up the other side making sure to keep everything even to center, works great and is easy.

[ThePushArchery]

Thats what I was thinking. In hind sight, we have a real accurate pin hole marking jig. I could have measured and marked the "center line" of my limbs offset to one side, forcing one side to be flush with the riser, and the other having a 1/8" overhang. Then I could have sent it through the thickness sander...

Alright, problem solving time!

[wood carver 2]

             !!!!
Aren't you worried it might turn over in the drum sander and be ruined?
Dave

[JamesV]

I would put the limbs on the riser and sand them down by hand with a belt sander.

Wood carver is right, if the bow hangs up in the drum sander you could have a problem.

[Walt Francis]

I do not make 3 piece bows with bolt on limbs but all of my glass 1 & 2 piece recurves and R/D bows get run through the thickness sander; never had any problems with them wanting to turn.   Like T Folts, I smooth off the excess glue on one side of the bow, but use the old Rigid oscillating belt sander to get it close, then finish with a flat milled milled board with sandpaper glued onto it.  Next, the majority of glue is removed from the other side and the now is run through the thickness sander.