New builder, new bow finished pics page 3...

[Russell S.]

So I guess eventually apex is going to get frustrated answering all my questions by email so i thought i would post here and get everyone opinion.

First my background.  i have A lot of experience working metal, and a little working wood. I love hunting, my first hog with a hand load was a wonderful feeling, but i cant make a gun,  I can make a bow.  I have average arching skills, starting as a child with a fiberglass recurve. Then on to compound bows, never killed anything bigger then a raccoon with any of them, my Indian like skills are not nearly as refined as Apex.
     I went scouting for the first time last week, and found plenty of deer and bear sign, but visibility here is wa averages about 20 yds in the woods.  What a great opportunity for a bow!!   I was soo impressed with What i have seen here and from apex that i decided it was time to try to build a bow.  I know the first one will not be a masterpiece, but hopefully it will shoot true and fast.

[Russell S.]

So here is where i am.  I went to the lumber yard and found some nice 3/4 in mapple and ipe for my riser,  i glued up the maple but the ipe is verry oily so i am going to hit is with acetone over the next few days.  

I have autocaded designs for both bow and riser and submitted them to apex for approval. (i dont know how to post a picture or worst yet an DXF or PDF)

The basic idea is a 64" R/D (i am 6'3" and a long draw is more comfortable for me)Fiberglass laminate bow.  the lam stack is my first hang up,  I plan on ordering them online.  
So i think i need the following stack,
 please critique.

my goal is ~50# at a 28 or 29" draw

width= 1.5"

from back to belly (back being the side facing the deer)
(1) .040 black fiberglass
(1) 0.080 Tapered (.001) Hard Maple
(1) 0.080 Tapered (.001) Hard Maple
(1) 0.080 Parallel hard maple
(1) 0.040 Black fiberglass

i have pics on the camera once i figure out how to load them!

[bjansen]

Great.  Good luck and I'm looking forward to seeing your build...Use caution as its addicting!

[Russell S.]

Autocad of riser

 

Wood for riser
 

Riser glue up
 

[kennym]

I would guess a wee bit lite in draw weight. My 64" with .003" per inch total taper takes .355 to make 50# @ 28"

With .002 total it might pull a bit more #s  ?

Good luck and keep us posted!!

[Russell S.]

1.5" of maple vs. scroll saw....  and the winner is.... the maple...

[Russell S.]

kennym thanks for the info,  i was looking for a bow to benchmark!  I went with an orignial guess of 0.002 tapper because it seems everyone says 0.004 is too much...  perhaps 0.003 will be just right.  i will post the profile i came up with for feed back, by no means have I made any choices yet (except not to cut maple with the scroll saw anymore.)

[Russell S.]

Ok here is the cad for the riser and the bow.  what do you guys think of the shape of the bow?  should the infection points from deflex to reflex be closer to the tips?
 

 

[kennym]

Here is my design,profiles on p 3 .

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=001165;p=1

It looks pretty good to me,my 07 bow had lots of reflex near the tips . It was harder to shoot than my 09 model in the link above......

[Russell S.]

Revised stack based on that last bit from kenny
all 1.5in wide.
(1) 0.040 black fiberglass
(3) 0.090 tapered maple (0.001)
(1) 0.040 black fiberglass

Kenny do you have all these lams?

[Apex Predator]

Good to see you over here buddy!  The e-mails are not too bad!     I do get a lot of returned e-mails though.  For some reason, they seem to be going through, even with the returned msg.  I'm looking forward to the progress.

Kenny is a great guy to deal with and sells everything you need.  It's much easier to base your first off of a known form, or design.  You can tweak it from there.  

You are in for a wild ride man!

[kennym]

Sure do bud!! Have a look around...

 http://kennyscustomarchery.com/

[Russell S.]

Apex, i have been getting your emails, i dont know why it keeps sending stuff back.  it still comes thru.  going to square the riser block tonight, the old fashion way!!

[Russell S.]

the old fashion way....  dont mind the machined right angle blocks
 

think its time to buy that table saw and band saw i have been wanting!

[Russell S.]

Test fitting the riser lams,  riser is maple lams are cherry and walnut i picked up at the hardware store.   i figured the limbs shouldn't be the first time i worked with thin lams so i should put some in the riser.

[kennym]

Lookin good!!  

[Russell S.]

Glad that wasn't my lams, think that riser block might be ruined...  some lessons i am sure you all would have told me:

1) the guy that named it "5 min epoxy" lied
2) that guide pin idea is a really good idea
3) even TB II sets fast enough that your lams have to be in the right place when you start to clamp.

guess there may be enough good wood there to make my son a riser....

[kennym]

Your smoothon will be there in 3 days,I'd rather use it!

The wrap in plastic and clamp litely with blocks from sides works to keep it all 1.5" in width,,the thin lams are a nuther deal!! LOL ...

[Russell S.]

thanks kenny! just got the invoice.

[Russell S.]

ok got another question.  What thickness of metal do you recomend for the pressure strip and to cap the mold with.  i just found out my online metal supplier is local (kinda) so shipping is no worry.  1/8 X1.5 inch aluminum is 4.90 a strip.  i think that is about right.  still pretty flexible.  i thought 1/16 would be too thin.  I did some test cuts with the band saw.  i was able to re saw 3" oak board to a thickness of 0.070 +-0.015, but then i sanded it and it came out to like 0.050 +-0.010 cut an inlay for the ipe and glued it up as a backup to the maple riser.  this is therapeutic and so far my 4 yr old daughter and 5 yr old son love it, they vacuum dust as i sand. think i have enough scrap metal laying around to make a lam grinder,  have lathe will machine...  its less frustrating to me cause the results are closer to what i expect when i am working with metal.