This One is Wearing Me Out

[ChristopherO]

Need some help here, men.  I've been working on a f/g recurve with black walnut laminations.  I personally ground these lams and intentionally made them thinner than for my normal weight bows of 50+ lbs.  Yet, I am fighting these limbs to loose any weight for the 40#'s I am optimally looking for so the woman who will own it can pull it to her draw length.  
I just spent another 1.5 hours sanding the clear fiberglass with 150 then 220 grit paper to only drop it to 46# from the 48# it was before I began.  This is not the first round of sanding spent on it, either.  
The limbs are 1 5/8" at the widest on the bottom limb and 1 9/16" on the top limb.  I don't feel too comfortable narrowing them any further.  I've rounded the edges heavily and sand the back and belly, as mentioned above.  Any other qualified suggestions would be welcomed as I've about lost patience with this particular build.
Thanks

[jsweka]

So you've sanded the glass, narrowed the limbs, and rounded the edges.  Man, I wish I had a suggestion, but you've already done everything I'd think to do.  I'm not a recurve guy, so I can't give any advice on how narrow you can go with the limbs.  Maybe someone else will be along with some real advice.

[MoeM]

Maybe seriously trapping the back- but it sounds you are already close to!?

[Mike Most]

Did you only use 150 and 200 grit? What weight were you wanting to land on? Did you sand or remove glass from what I call all four surfaces? (top belly and back and bottom belly and back)

What might be your current total stack thickness one inch out from the fades?

[droptine59]

great question..but from what youve done to now..perhaps the trap method may get those addl. 2 lbs off. good luck

[kennym]

Hi Chris,

What thickness glass did you start with?

Did you by chance measure thickness of limb before starting? Mike has this one already, but my limbs come in thicker after glue than the original stack....

I have never trapped a curve, not sure about that one.

[ChristopherO]

Hello Kenny,
I purchased the glass from you back in the winter so what ever I normally buy.  The lams were ground to my normal thickness for 50# bows and then slightly thinner.  
Today time allowed so I trapped and trapped the limbs incrementally and carefully multiple times today and have finally pulled the weight down to 40 lb.  I have spent hours just trying to make this bow light where in the past I had to be ultra cautious to lower it too much.  
Never would have thought black walnut would be so tough.
Thanks for the ideas, men.

[Roy from Pa]

Try cedar core lams the next time.