Is a takedown build easier than a one piece?

[barley40]

How about it guys, is a take down bow easier to build than a one piece one? I normally build selfbows but built one longbow glue up and it turned out pretty well. I can see how the limbs might be easier one at a time, but then theres the drilling and all that.

[kennym]

The drilling and lining limbs up is the worst part. Some folks anymore drill the alignment pin thru the limb and into the riser after bolting the limbs on and doing centerline full length.
Then cover that portion of the limb with an overlay.

The onepiece is a lot more gluing at one time,but overall it is easier for me!

[Kanga]

Take downs are more time consuming than 1 piece bows.

Like Kenny said drilling the limbs and alignment holes can be a real pain if you don't get them exactly right.

[Mike Most]

Yes Sir, When laying up the shorter limbs, the take down long bow comes in first in ease of handling.
However, then having to drill and line em up gives you an extra dimension.

I really like the one piece longbows for ease of handling and laying up. (Like Kenny M says)

The one piece recurve is the most difficult for me to get into the form, glue seems to get everywhere.

[jsweka]

I built a few one piece longbows with pretty good results.  I wanted to try something different, so this weekend I started on a three piece take down recurve.  Wow!  I now have even more respect for professional bowyers and I can easily understand why take downs cost so much more.  Trying to get all the holes lined up is tough.  In hindsight I should have done what Kenny mentioned above.  Gluing up the limbs was easy compared to a one piece longbow (less glue, easier to handle, etc.)  It's coming along, but not perfect.  Tomorrow I'll put a string on it and that will be the real test.  Certainly a big leap in my novice bowyer experience.

[vth0kie12]

does anyone have any plans that i could use to go by. im working on a longbow right now, but have always wanted to try a takedown.

[Scott F]

If you want to build a t/d bow I strongly recommend that you buy the prints from Binghams.  The video/DVD is supposed to be really good, but you have plenty of advice and expertise right here!  The blue prints from Binghams are easy to read and they produce a great shooting bow.

For limb alignment I have done what Kenny suggested in a post above this one.  Drilled the limb holes into the riser then put the riser inserts in the riser.  Then I attached the limbs and bolted them on.  Then I took a weighted length of colored fishing line to make sure that the limbs were straight.  When they were straight I clamped them on pretty tight using the limb bolts and some spring clamps and took the bow over to a drill press (a hand drill would also work) and drilled the index pins directly through the limbs and into the riser.  When you glue a limb overlay over the holes you won't see the index pin hole, obviously.  When the overlay was cured, I drilled the limb bolt hole back through the overlay using a smaller diameter bit.  Then I took the same round file that I make string nocks with and bored the hole back out to 5/16.  It really isn't too hard but it takes some time.  

The first bow is the hardest because everyone wants to hurry it up and get it done so that they can shoot it!

I decided to make a t/d bow first because I wanted a smaller form to work with.  My next bow will be a one piece similar (hopefully!) to Kenny M's bows -- they are SWEET.  As a matter of fact, I'm going to go and buy some plywood right now!!

[greyhawk39]

Like Scott said get all the binghams supplies,and make sure to get there limb bolt alignment jig,I use tongue depressors I have read that some guys have scoring from the thumb screws.What I do is put a piece of of painter tape on the bottom side of the limb and wrap so it cover the top of the limb or the top of the wedge and leave a inch or so and cover the top of the limb,the same for the bottom of  a little longer than the jig about inch.Then put the jig losely on the tape line it on top of the limb and draw a line across the bottom so you have so you have a point of refrerence take the jig off,and now find center of that line depending on the width of the limb you are using.Then go to the top of the limb and find center.Then line up the center line on binghams jig with the line that you have drawn on the limb do this top and bottom and tighten the thumb screws you use the same procedure for drilling into the riser...I have found the aligment pin doesn't always go deep enough I think that I am shell shocked because I have drill to fare into the limb and have come out the top side of the limb so I drill enough to give me a reference point and finish off with a drill.I also use brad points bits they make the drilling nice when you drill into dense wood...but my advice is that go find some 2x4 thing strips of wood half inch thick and practice using the jig use the 2x4 as your riser block and and use some 2" latice or rip some wood and sand them to a level smoothness...I hope this helps you out,I never had the aligment jig when I started building take down, and I have pulled my hair out trying to get the limbs to align...but get the jig its worth every penny...Hawk

[Bob Sarrels]

no

[greyhawk39]

I hope your bow building skills exceeds your  limited vocabulary...lol    

[rkmnt2]

Good burn, Greyhawk!    But Barley didn't ask for an explanation now did he? lol.
   All good advice Barley....but then is it really work if it's something you enjoy? Make the style you want to shoot. It will pay you back for any extra effort every time you shoot it.

[greyhawk39]

Touche...from personal experience I offered my advice to make things easier...and make your bow safe.This drilling a hole through the top of the limb, might make a weak spot on the bow limb and it might frey and have a break down.