Using two tapers in a limb?

[Sharp Shooter]

Who has tried using two .002 tapers in a limb? How would this effect the stack? The reason I ask is, I've glued up two sets of limbs trying to get a 30-35# bow. Trying to get a stack of .209, I'm sliding the thick end of the taper out of the stack, because it's too thick, this forces me to use more of the thin section at the tip. Causing a very limber tip and poundage is still to strong. Just wondering if this would work? Thanks Tony

[kennym]

Hi Tony,

If you slide the taper down, it is still the same total taper. As you thin the limb stack, the taper will still be .002(I think you use).

Maybe I'm not understanding you properly tho...

One way to get tip stability is use a tip wedge,of course this changes the way the tip unrolls.

Wider limbs farther out will help also, but I personally don't like the look...

Going from .002 total to .004 will make the tips even floppier I'm thinkin... And the limb won't bend as much at the fade or wedge.

Want me to grind some thinner glass to get the thickness down?

Just a few ideas thrown out there, I'm not much of a curve builder, maybe someone else  will have something for ya!

[jess stuart]

I am with Kenny I think your limbs will be hard pressed to remain stable with that much forward taper.  Especially with such a light draw weight the stack will be very thin and thus less stable.  I find thickness adds stability quicker than width but, both do help.  I think I would try one taper maybe .002 and a parallel.

[Sharp Shooter]

What I was thinking and I didn't say it in the first message, is reversing the tapers. the taper on the belly of the limb would be normal but the taper on the face of the limb would be reversed with the thick end being at the tip.

[kennym]

That would be basically a parallel limb, if I were doing it, I would stay with the forward taper(if you like the way its bending) and add a tip wedge to help the stability. and possibly go with 2 - .001 tapers to keep them thicker at tips?

[Saskquach]

Sharp Shooter, two .002" tapers, giving you .004" taper per inch, have been used in limbs. Here is a picture of my son drawing a mid 70's era Black Widow that uses them.

   

The stack measures .275" at the fade and .202" at the nock grooves aprox. The limb is 1.875" wide at the fade and tapers full length to .75" at the nock grooves. The bow is 55# at 28".

I build take down bows that use .004" taper as well. This one has bloodwood and hard rock maple in the riser. The limbs have bamboo cores.

 

I add a 7" tip wedge at .005" taper as well as a power lam that extends 2" out from the wedge at .008" taper. The limb is 1.5" wide then tapers to .75" over the last 6". The same stack measurement as the widow gives 52# on a 9 deg riser. This pic shows the difference in the way the limbs bend.

 

The tip wedge and powerlam give a couple fps gain at less poundage. The only way to see how a thinner stack works out is to lay some up I guess. I will be doing that for my wife and daughter sometime this winter.

Dean

[Saskquach]

I have to correct my post. The stack thickness on my limb is .262" at the fade, not counting the powerlam, and aprox .189" at the tip, not counting the tip wedge, to get 52# with a 9 degree riser. Shoulda checked my paperwork instead of trying to run off of memory      

The same limb with a 6 degree riser jumps the poundage to 62. I would post a picture but it seems photobucket is having some problems.
Dean

[Sharp Shooter]

Thanks Dean, I may try this on my next attempt at this 30# bow. Tony