Tip Wedges

[BMorv]

Wondering if you guys are using tip wedges on your all wood R/D bows?  If so can you give me an idea of dimensions and when you use them?  I know they are common on glass bows.    

TBBIV mentions using "reverse tip wedges" on their highly reflexed lam bow.  I'm confused as to why they call it a reverse wedge.  It seems like it's just a wedge.

[ty_in_ND]

I'm actually going to try using a tip wedge in an up and coming trilam I'm going to piece together, just to experiment a touch with keeping the last bit of the limb stiff.  Whether or not it works, I won't know until the bow starts shooting, but I have to start going through the wood I've accumulated!

[kennym]

""TBBV mentions using "reverse tip wedges" on their highly reflexed lam bow. I'm confused as to why they call it a reverse wedge. It seems like it's just a wedge. ""

I suppose maybe they are calling it that because the tapers some use the other direction are called reverse tapers? you can only point a tip wedge one way! LOL

Just different way of saying it.

[BMorv]

Yeah the word reverse doesn't make sense to me.  It's like they are saying to put the thick end towards the handle    :confused:

Kenny, when do you use tip wedges on your glass bows and what kind of dimensions do you use?  I guess the concept of keeping the tips stiff and retaining shape apply to wood and glass.

[Crooked Stic]

Yeah probably because the thin part is pointed the other way. I put mine from string groove to 4 inches down the limb. they have a .008-010 taper. Guessing .040 to .000

[BMorv]

Thanks for the information.  The wedges they used on TBBIV were 12" long.  That seemed much too long.

[ty_in_ND]

Ya, the tip wedges I'm planning on using are .050 to 0 taper and are 5 inches long.

[kennym]

I use about same as Mike and Ty, .010 taper and 4-6" from nocks depending on what I'm "trying to make the limb do.

[Bvas]

About the same for me. Usually about 5-7” in front of grooves.
About  .030-.040 with around .006 taper.

My bows are in the shorter side, so I use them mostly to get a better string angle and gain a little draw length before stacking.

[styksnstryngs]

Actually, I was thinking that you could incorporate a tip wedge with a rapid taper from the riser to the tip, so the wedge started at say 8" from the limb tip and reaches max thickness at about 5" from the limb tip, then thins out again towards the tips. This would save some weight in the limb tips.

[Bvas]

Originally posted by styksnstryngs:
Actually, I was thinking that you could incorporate a tip wedge with a rapid taper from the riser to the tip, so the wedge started at say 8" from the limb tip and reaches max thickness at about 5" from the limb tip, then thins out again towards the tips. This would save some weight in the limb tips.

I would think that would be hard to glue lams or glass on top of. You would basically be putting a hump in the limb.

But hey....try it and let us know how it works   :D

[BMorv]

Thanks for the responses.  That's the information I needed.  I'm playing around with a design that needs to accommodate a 30" draw, so the stiff flipped tips will help.

Originally posted by styksnstryngs:
Actually, I was thinking that you could incorporate a tip wedge with a rapid taper from the riser to the tip, so the wedge started at say 8" from the limb tip and reaches max thickness at about 5" from the limb tip, then thins out again towards the tips. This would save some weight in the limb tips.

I am not a tip wedge expert, but yes it should work... I have been thinking of trying it myself...  The theory is that you want that last 1/4 to 1/3 of limb to be stiff and having all of that thickness and weight at the very tip does not help... Now the question is will it enhance or take away from performance?? You would take off more weight if you ran a partial tip wedge and tapered the glass the last 4 or so inches...  Glass weighs twice as much as maple...
  You could also splice in some douglas fir the last 6"- 8" of your core...

[BO-R]

TBBV mentions using "reverse tip wedges" on their highly reflexed lam bow  

Is there a book 5?

[monterey]

I'm sure that different designs respond variously to tip weight but my experiment with a 66" ASL shows that it may not be enough to fret about.

[BMorv]

BO-R, It was a typo, I meant to say TBBIV.