Form? Do you guy.....

[heartlandbowyer]

Guys use they belly or back as the bottom of the form? Or does it totally depend on the bow/riser profile and design.

Reason I ask is because I'm thinking of making a new form and matching one radius is easier than matching three in the riser.

One piece design in question...
 

[Bowjunkie]

I do it both ways. Depends on the design. For my laminated glass/wood d/r longbows and hybrids, the bow's back faces down. But on that particular bow with the forward handle, it looks like it might be better to face the belly down toward the bottom of the form. It might make glue up easier.

[jess stuart]

I do it both ways and just use whatever will make for an easier to build form.

[kennym]

I've done both, but like Jeff said, I'd put belly down on that bow.

[heartlandbowyer]

Thanks gents you confirmed what I was kind of thinking.

Thanks
Cory

[chackworth3]

I'd do it belly down.  The forward risers are hard to glue up back down for sure...

[LittleBen]

Yeah I'm with what everyone has said already basically. I choose the back or belly side for the form based on what will be easier. I'd rather have clamps or hose running up the fade area on a normal riser, or across the back on a forward riser. Basically whichever side has a more complex shape gets the clamps or hose.

The only exception are for things like a bamboo backing. It's much easier to have the clamps or hose press onto the bamboo than have the bamboo directly against the form because it's rounded and has nodes.

Also if I'm making limbs with alot of reflex or something I will often have the back facing the form so that I can put a protective strip over the belly side so the belly lam doesn't fail in tension while clamping down.

These are obviously not relevant problems to glass bow building, just wood lam bows.