How thin can I go at nocks?

[Kopper1013]

Hey guys go a little over zealous sanding my limb profile and an now I'm down to 3/8" at nocks....I'm nervous to file my string groves cause I feel like there won't be any meat left  to not break off at full draw:confused:

I'm building an ASL and was hoping to no put on tip overlays, but maybe I need to now?

What do you guys think?

Should I pike the limbs to somewhere where I'll have at least a 1/2" if I do I think it might be to heavy but at least it will still be a bow....

[takefive]

I'd go with tip overlays, but I've heard of guys wrapping sinew around narrow tips as well.  If you don't have sinew, leather lace saturated with super glue might work, too.

[Wolftrail]

3/8" or 1/2" thats what most do.

[Kopper1013]

Ok, it's a glass bow btw

How deep would you go with the string groves to keep the string from popping out?

[monterey]

The wider 1/2" neighborhood tip widths are typical of the  "Hill style" bows.  The fact that you have built an ASL doesn't necessarily make it Hill style.  So, your tip widths should be in a relationship to your width at the fades and the rate of thickness taper in your limbs.  Once again, a Hill style is usually 1" to 1 1/8" at the fades and 7/16" to 1/2" at the nocks with .004 to .006 per inch in thickness taper.  

So, if you dimensions match those and you are at 3/8" you are about right.  All three of those dimensions need to be working together along with limb length as well.

I usually build at 1.4" at the fades and 3/8" or less at the tips with .002 taper.  I have made mistakes atboth extremes in the ratios for that. 002 taper rate.  One is on my bench now with 1.44 fades and 1/2" tips.  It bends too much in the inner limbs and of course that leaves the inner limbs having to propel too much of the outer limbs.  I'll correct it by tapering the majority of the width of the limbs in a very gentle arc to tips of just under 3/8".

Another that came out at just over 1" at the fades due to form squiggling had to be tapers as a pyramid down to tips that are a hair under 1/4" with a tip overlay that does the work of the string nocks (picture below).  The bow gave up a lot of draw weight, but, to me at least, final performance is more important than draw weight.

So, the best answer to your question will be possible if you post all of the dimensions of your limbs.

   

[Kopper1013]

I'm 1-1/8" at my fades tapered to 3/8" now, total taper of .005

[monterey]

I would stay where your at.  Maybe a bit of an overlay. You could also go with pin nocks.

The piking option will always be available.

[bamboo]

use an overlay--strength is more about thickness out on the tips--also file your tips so that the groove across the back does all of the work-the sides kept at or about in line with the string at brace

[Mad Max]

Just file across the back, no string grooves on the sides
lot's of my nocks are done this way.
I go narrow but thicker


 

 

[mikkekeswick]

Agreed. Overlays and then string groove across just the back. Obviously look how the string rubs on the belly side and round over any edges there.

[monterey]

A little of topic, but, Mark, what is the turquoise tip overlay made of?

[SportHunter]

Just measured my ASL longbows, most were 1/2" at nocks, a few high performers were 3/8" but had either tip overlays or limb wedges. The actual width of the nock cuts on the narrower bows was down to 3/16" wide, they look scary thin but work with the overlays.

[Mad Max]

Crushed like sand, Turquoise and smooth on.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=012923#000000

[Kopper1013]

Thanks guys I'll add some overlays and file the back if need be I'll add some light grooves to the sides

[monterey]

Thanks, Mark.  

[Mad Max]

cool

[Mad Max]

let's see where you are.    
Pictures???????    
I will be out of town all next week

[Kopper1013]

Well I haven't gotten as far as I would of liked but since it's my family that's keeping me away I guess it's ok hahaha hopefully this week...