What's your favorite total limb taper rate?

[Kopper1013]

I have been doing searches and it dosent seem that any one has asked this question before and it's peaked my curiosity...

What's your favorite total taper and in what style bow?

Recurves, tri-lam's, long bows and Hybrids lets hear what ya like!!

 I haven't built enough to even have input here, but my most successful build was with .003 total taper.

[kennym]

The wider the limbs at fades, the less taper you have to use because you can taper more on edges.

I use .003 on my D/R s with 1 3/8" wide at fades(or so) and 1/2" tips

Some of the hill styles that are 1-1.25" at fades use as much as .005 total .

You just have to see where the limb is bending and where you want it to bend more, or less and make adjustments....

JMO

[chackworth3]

I use a .002 or .003 taper and 1 1/8" at the fades and 1/2" at the tips on my hybrid but the width can vary sometimes depending on desired weight

[JamesV]

.003 for Re-curves and .005 for R/D longbows.

[beachbowhunter]

.003 for D/R LB that is 1 3/8 at the fades.

[BenM]

.005-.006 for Hill styles

[Swissbow]

0.004-0.006 for D/R with 1 3/8" at the fades and 1/2" at the tips.
__________
Andy

[Wolftrail]

:confused:  ................ does anyone build bows with 1 3/4" wide limbs..?  If so what is your preferred taper rate..?

[monterey]

Originally posted by Kopper1013:
I have been doing searches and it dosent seem that any one has asked this question before and it's peaked my curiosity...

What's your favorite total taper and in what style bow?

Recurves, tri-lam's, long bows and Hybrids lets hear what ya like!!

 I haven't built enough to even have input here, but my most successful build was with .003 total taper.

I think you have to consider other design factors/features into the equation.  The simple example is the plain old American Flat Bow.  If approximately 1.5 at the fades and 3/8 or even a little less at the string nocks, .002 works very well.  If you take that same bow to a "Hill" style about 1" at the fades and 3/8 or wider at the string nocks, it will take .004 to .006 taper to get it bending too deliver max efficiency.

Then, the working recurves and R/D bows will have their own particular requirements depending on width, degree of reflex, deflex and limb widths.  Static recurves also have their own "recipes" too.  

If you are looking for a recipe, I'd suggest you post the particulars of the type of bow you would like to build and request specific design parameters.  This site is home to some tremendous expertise residing in members with incredibly generous spirit.

[Kopper1013]

Not looking for a recipe, I'm just interested in what people are building and love in their bows. I find it interesting the variance in the way builders build and how different a recipe can work and still produce a bow the bowyer likes to shoot.

[bjansen]

I echo Kenny. .003 for r/d bows, .005 for hills and .002 for recurves

[Pettit877]

Sorry for being as green as a frog when it comes to being a bowyer but when talking total taper rate is the total calculated per limb or per bow?


example

.001 tapered lams in a recurve would result in a total taper of .002?

or would the total taper be .001?

Eric

[mikkekeswick]

Yes per limb not the taper in both limbs added together.
Total taper in your example would be .001