Design question- limb taper

[Theolithic71]

Fellows,

With a glass bow, how far out from the riser fade do you begin to taper the limb width?  Can you begin your taper right at the tip of the fade?  What are the risks?

Thanks much!

[kennym]

Depends greatly on the limb design and taper rate. I start out about 2" from fade, but figure after layout and shaping, when I blend the line of limb layout into the riser area, it is close to fade.

What I dislike is a bow that has a pronounced hingey looking area right off the fade. So I use a power lam on just about every bow to help the riser fade spread the weight out some.

The risk I suppose would be working the bow limb more at fade than anywhere else. Which might eventually cause it to fail....

YMMV  

[Theolithic71]

Ummmm......What's a power lam?  Yer dealing with a newbie here!

And thanks for the info in your reply Kenny.  

This is exactly why I was wondering.  Don't want to stress the glue joint or thin wood at the end of the fade.

[kennym]

A power lam is a lam that goes from center out past the riser fades a bit and is feathered to nothing there . Just helps spread the stress out a little.

[die_dunkelheit]

A power lam is another glass lam in the stack a little longer than the fades or wedges and is tapered over it's full length to as thin a final edge as possible.

edit.
err, Kenny and I must have been typing responses at the same time...

[kennym]

Actually glass or wood will work with glass getting the nod because it's stiffer and you're not worried about weight in that portion of the limb.

I must have gotten the jump on ya typing cause I'm the slowest!!

 

[Theolithic71]

Many thanks fellows!!

[die_dunkelheit]

Originally posted by kennym:
I must have gotten the jump on ya typing cause I'm the slowest!!

Yeah I was trying to take a picture but didn't have the patience at the time to get the detail I wanted so I gave up on it...