Material list help needed

[ToddT]

I plan to build a laminated longbow. I have built one self bow that is okay, but still needs a bit of work. Anyway I planned to build a hot box from plans found on the internet - most likely here. I am also fairly mechanically inclined so I think I will be fine simply utilizing knowledge found here and other places on the internet.

My problem however is that with no knowledge of building a laminated bow I have no clue as to what materials to order to complete a bow. I want to build a 58 - 60 inch longbow. I planned to base it on a Howard Hill style with no curvature - so the form will be easier to construct. I want it to be about 45 - 50 pounds at 28 inches. So, can someone please offer a list of materials that I will need, even a preffered adhesive suggestion would be great. I hope I am not asking too much.

And before someone suggests getting a kit from bingham's or another supplier, I did check and found I could get one, but the cost was $260, and I felt if I simply got the materials needed without the extra stuff that I may not REALLY need, I could get by much cheaper. Thanks for your help.

[7 Lakes]

Todd,
Will this bow be backed with glass laminations?  Very short Hill Style bows with 28" draw are very much the exception rather than the rule. Any way to talk you into longer limbs?

For adhesive go with EA-40 epoxy, known as "Smooth On"

[ToddT]

I am all ears to suggestions. Yes I had planned to use a fiberglass lamination - but do not know what size, thickness, or length. That is why I was hoping for help. I am also not certain of what order they would go in, i.e. fiberglass for the backing, middle, or belly, or both back and belly with a wood core, or opposite of that, wood laminate for back and belly, with wood sandwiched between the two, etc. I am not set on a 58 inch longbow, but from what I had seen this seemed normal. All help is appreciated. Thanks for the advice for the adhesive.

[lovethehunt]

Todd, I read an article in Traditional bowhunter several years ago. I Think it is the Aug/Sept. or Nov/Dec. issue of 2005 that spelled the whole thing out very well. I have been using that design ever since. The bows shoot well. I have made about 8 of them and have not had one fail. The shortest I  have gone is 64". The first was 32# @ 28 for my wife. The stack was .250 of walnut and .030 glass  on the front and back. Very rough looking back, now they are a little nicer. There was a good build along in here a couple of weeks ago.  BE CAREFUL IT'S ADDICTING!!!

[Jason Scott]

That is short for a hill style @ 28" draw and not normal. Not saying that it won't shoot for a little while but it will feel terrible past 22" and the fades will be screaming for mercy. Longer will give you what you want for the straight profile. If you want to go that short you will have to have some deflex and reflex for it to shoot well and last. Smooth on is the ticket and glass on the back and belly with wood lams in the middle. Any more detail will depend on the profile/length you decide to go with.
 
But if you are looking for some juicy details and you really want a hill style you should do a 64" - 66" (if your draw is not longer than 28") and go with a .420 total stack, two pieces of .050 glass and .320 wood stack in the middle. 16" riser. I would try to have .006 forward taper in the wood lams and 1 1/4" wide at the fades. This should get you to 45 + #. Any wider than 1 1/4" wide at the fades would not qualify as a hill style in my opinion and would be more of a flat bow like Binghams sells. And 1 1/4" is pushing it. The addition of 5" tip wedges would do wonders in reducing stack and add performance by reducing whip ended soft tips which is a contributor of handshock in the hill style. Also, the tip wedges would add a couple #s and get you around 50#. This would make a sweet shooter.
The stack height and forward taper should be reduced if you go wider at the fades.
If you draw more than 28" you should consider a 68" hill style bow.

[kennym]

Great post Jason!

[jess stuart]

Years back I built a 64" straight longbow used the following.  Sixteen inch riser  and a .385 stack height came out with 55# at 28".  I used .070 glass one .002 taper and a .035 parallel and two ,060 parallels.  Limbs were 1 1/4" at the fades and 1/2 inch at the nock.
I don't remember why I used such thick glass and only one taper, it was twenty years ago and I probably didn't know any better at the time.  Can't remember what became of it.  
I say all that to say this, you will probably be ahead if you stay with a proven and tried design, especially to start with.  There is probably a very good reason you don't see real short Hill style bows.

[Trux Turning]

Todd-do a google search for DickWrightman.com he has a lot of info on building hill style bows on his site. You will get a ton of information there.