A failures build along

[Roy from Pa]

Yes Art, at least get the mid limbs bending a little bit first cause it's way too stiff in that area. Then work it down the tree, I'd start at about 10 inches since you already had it to 14. Pull it 30 times to 10 and watch how the limbs react, if it's still bending only at the end of the riser, then weaken those limbs a little at a time till they start to bend a little, keeping them uniform in thickness taper. As you pull it, you can see where it's bending and where it's flat.

[Bowjunkie]

It's already bending some throughout the limb because it looks a lot different now than it did at brace. I think it needs to bend a little more though.

Art, are you saying the hickory is tapered .001" per inch? And it's just one solid piece of hickory, right? If so, that's not enough taper, which will cause it to work the inner limb more than the rest of it. The good news is, you can increase the taper until you get the bend you want. If it would have been tapered sufficiently prior to glue-up, your handle may not have let go and you wouldn't be trying to play catch up with your limb bending. Not a big deal, you'll get er bending, I'm just lettin ya know for next time.... with these bows, the bulk of such work is best done prior to glue up.

Another thing that happens sometimes is that if you have to remove too much wood AFTER gluing these bows into reflex... the more wood you remove from the belly, the more reflex it pulls itself into, and then the stronger(falsely) it appears early in the draw, so you remove more wood thinking she's just being stubborn, it pulls into more reflex, etc, and you don't realize you're headed for an underweight bow.

Just something to keep in mind for future reference... adequate, accurate pretapring is the ticket to these things. If you lay a good foundation, the tillering and such on these things is cake.

[Razorbak]

I'm not sure what the taper is now. David can awnser that better. I'm gonna go back to 10" and go from there once I get the riser mated again. I'm struggling right now on 1 side to get it tight so sanding and scraping is needed. Might have to do a different riser now. Not sure yet (sorry Roy. Great piece of Osage) will work more when I get home from appts. I will get it done somehow. Almost tempted to boil riser to conform to shape

[macbow]

Could you guys state how much taper before glue,up on say a 50 # @28 inch BBO. 64 inches long.

[Bowjunkie]

1/8" or a little less from dips to tips is a good place to start.

[macbow]

Thanks, I've been doing it all after glue up.

[Bowjunkie]

No problem, Mac. You'll like the results. There are reasons other than those mentioned so far for doing it prior to glue up. It makes it a little easier to bend since we're bending a little less wood, so we can bend it farther. If supported on posts during glue up, it also bends in a more even arc throughout the length of the limb since pretapering is not unlike 'pretillering' in a sense. If not pretapered, the glued up, unbraced side profile will show the reflex concentrated more at mid-limb where the center post was... i.e. more 'hinge-like' rather than gradual 'arc-like'... which just throws another tillering hurdle in front of us when we try to achieve a gradual curve under string tension.

In tri-lams, there are even more benefits.

[Roy from Pa]

Art, ya having fun yet? LOL

Ya I taper my belly slat thickness from 1/2 at center to 3/8th at tips before glue up. 1 1/4 wide at flares to 1/2 at tips.

Heading out tomorrow for a three day trad shoot/campout.. have fun Arty ole boy:)

[Razorbak]

I have had no fun today with riser Im still off on the gap..I might have to cut another piece out for handle if I cant close the gap...look in my folks basement..I have some type of wood that I got years ago when I was gonna be a "BOWYER"...Im gonna try to make it work with Roy's wood but if I cant then resort to plan B...Im gonna take the time and do it right so wish me luck guys...Have fun Roy and bring a compass in case you get "OLDTIMERS" and get lost on the ranges..that way you will find your way out...LOL

[Razorbak]

I maybe mistaken on the taper..I know David tapered it real good, Im wondering if I glued it in upside down now thinking of it...lets say if you laid it on the table and you sighted down the blank and you see a shallow part then a flat part then a shallow (taper)part then that would be considered the belly section correct....now Im really thinking if I glued it upside down so when I tried to tiller that's why I kept getting the problem in the out 2/3rds  I tell you guys I suck at this

[Roy from Pa]

I told ya you glued it on upside down, didn't I?      

[Roy from Pa]

Did you mark one riser end as TOP? As in top limb? And did you mark your top limb on your bow, as in top limb? LMAO, ya didn't did ya? Do that son. Then place it on the bow the same direction EVERY TIME?
You NH guys drive me nuts!
ROFLMAO:)

[Razorbak]

I have one side that I marked as top when I did the riser..Im wondering if I glued the blank upside down..who knows now...LOL

[D]

lololol  God lord I don't check this til 12:30 tonight and you all have went nuts..

Bowjunkie..The core was thickness tapered at .0025 of an inch per inch.  the taper starts about four inches from the center out to the tips.  It was tapered on my planer.  The power lam was made from action boo, its 20 inches long and is 3/16 thick in the center and tapered evenly to the ends where they are feathered to where I could almost see light through them when I held them up. I put my risers on the side of the core that wasn't planed so its a flat mating surface.  I wrote on the wood which side this was (I think I may not have)  Is that not enough taper??

[Bowjunkie]

D, I like a slightly steeper taper .0035 or so per inch to get a bow like his glued up. I play around changing the taper depending on limb length and unbraced profile, but don't take anything I say as gospel... I'm still learning here myself. I need to start keeping better records of this stuff I suppose.

[D]

I don't keep records either.  I mean to on every one that I build and then ever do.  I only have made one taper sled.  All of my cores have that same taper.  Too lazy to make a new one..lolol  It seems to work out pretty well for me.  But that's just they way I do it.  Hell it very well may be the wrong way to do it.

[Bowjunkie]

I keep completely detailed records on glass bows, but all wooden laminated bows can still be tillered and weight-adjusted on the belly, so it's slightly less important. I have notes scratched here and there, just haven't started a log book dedicated to them yet. So far, they seem to be working out.

[Razorbak]

Im keeping records and notes right now myself..had to walk away from the bow project today..brain just fried, worked on setting up my shop better ..will get back to it tomorrow or sunday...hopefully riser issue will be fixed

[Razorbak]

well I haven't gotten back to bow yet..spent the weekend working on my shop to make it better accessible...gonna start work on the riser again in the AM  just had to walk away for the last few days before I mess up...hopefully this week it will be shooting finally

[D]

Take your time Art.  Don't rush it