Another Trilam Question

[KenH]

I know from following a number of the Trilam builds that most of them seem to be in the 67-71" length range.

Is there any reason (other than having to use thinner lams) not to build a short trilam -- say 48"-52" for my short 27" draw and love of low draw weights??   

Quite a few years ago I was gifted with a 48" "mini-Molle" (Mollegabet) self-bow with 35# draw, which eventually took too much set and had to be retired.  I'd kinda like to re-create that bow as a trilam. 

If length isn't an issue, I think the belly-side depth of the static levers could be made by thinking of them as sort of long tip overlays glued to the belly side of the shaped trilam levers.

[Bowjunkie]

Simply put. No.

In fact, trilams can be designed and constructed in ways that allow them to be made shorter for the same draw length.

My shortest bows are trilams... (not as short though as you're proposing) and some of them are also, surprisingly enough, some of my smoothest, balanced, sweetest shooting bows I've made... which I think has more to do with design than the fact it's a trilam. They just more easily allow those design options.

[Flem]

Probably not if you adhere to somebody else's idea of what a "Tri-lam" looks like. I don't recall ever seeing a strict definition of a Tri-lam. You should glue up a blank that fits the shape of the bow you would like to make and go for it!