I've done a couple bows with those steel/brass sleeves. I use the larger one just because I make hunting weight (big game) bows right now and want full size handles. For light bows I might try the smaller.
A couple of pointers, if I may?: The sleeve system is made up of two small metal sleeves that slide into a longer steel sleeve. They are a tight fit, sometimes very tight. You do not want the inner, smaller sleeves to buldge at all so consider that when making the wood fit inside those smaller sleeves.
Round the edges of the inner sleeve(s) so they enter into the larger sleeve smoothly. Use wax as a lubricant so the two pieces slide together more easily. Without wax, and if buldging, those sleeves can be very difficult to get apart if you force them together.
Last point...When you taper the limbs down into the sleeve don't remove wood so that there is a smooth taper right into the smaller, inner sleeve. You want the wood to taper down and mate up flush with the outer, larger sleeve.
Or even more than flush because you will cover the steel with leather and you want the limb to taper down flush with the widest point of the handle, not the inner sleeve or you'll see that gap between the leather handle and the wood.
Topic: 2 piece suggestions? (Read 544 times)
