Ideas, please?

[knuklhed]

Anything up to and including cut it up and burn it is welcome. OK, it is my first stab at building a tri lam. I briefly described it in a thread I had started a while back. 1/8" hickory back, 3/32" elm core, and 3/16" maple belly. I did not have a sled (just ordered one from Kenny, so that will be fixed), so nothing is tapered. It glued up nicely, I cut the shape, glued on the riser, then put it on my tree. I realized it was bending near the riser, but nowhere else. BMorv was kind enough to advise making the fades longer, and trying to put a taper on after the fact, to save something out of it. I tried to make the fades sweep a bit further, then decided that cutting the outer limbs narrower would make them weaker, and perhaps bend better. But, after carefully cutting, trying to keep the tapers equal, the limbs no longer are even when you look at the profile. Off by a little over half an inch. I'm sure that's not a good thing. Is it possible to save this thing? Any suggestions?  Thanks!

(the first pic is off the form, the next is after all the butchery.)
 

[knuklhed]

I guess the first pic didn't load. Try again.

[Wolftrail]

Hard to tell exactly what is going on with those tiny pics but the bow looks like it was over stressed and took to much set.

[Roy from Pa]

If you are taking the pictures with a cell phone, you need to go into the camera setting and choose a much smaller picture size.

Cell phones take ungodly huge pictures.

But it looks to me like you put too much deflex in one spot and or did not get the inner 1/3 of the limbs bending.

Or without tapering the limb first, the inner limbs are way too stiff.

[KenH]

I click on the pix and they enlarge really well!

[mwosborn]

Well there is no use burning it!     Just as well tiller it the best you can and learn from it and will most likely get a shootable bow.  I seem to learn with every build - the more mistakes I make the more I learn!  Those deflex reflex bows can be a bugger to tiller.  I would recommend searching for Roy's build alongs and try to duplicate his tillering method.  I would agree with the longer more gradual fades you have mentioned too.  Your next one will be better.

[knuklhed]

Still flailing away at this. Here's a picture of where I'm at now. I think it is hinging at the approximate spot that the tape is on the wall. Keep narrowing and removing belly wood out further?   Thanks!

[KenH]

Leave it alone. 

I must say against that concrete block backdrop it's really hard to see, in small detail, what's going on. 

[mwosborn]

When I click your first pic it is pretty blurry so it is hard to see a good original unstrung profile.  But based upon what I can see (and my limited experience tillering all wood D/R bows) that the mid limbs and out don't look too bad.  It appears the portion of the limb that you added the reflex is straightening out at the draw you have it at in your last picture.  The issue I see occurred before tillering started.  The fades are too short and abrupt.  This is causing your inner limb (especially on the left) to bend too much right at the end of the fade.  There is no gradual taper from riser to limb.  I know that doesn't help you on this one, but that is what I am seeing.  I didn't see what draw length and weight you are at, but it may be time to call this one a bow and move on to the next.  Have you shot it yet?

I would suggest again to look at some of Roy's or other build alongs and look closely at their riser/handle area and see how they transition through the fade area.  I would also suggest to do some reading on tillering getting the hook on your string to pull straight down a line drawn on the wall.

[Robertfishes]

Do you have a "tillering gizmo"?

[Roy from Pa]

Make one of these gizmos..

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=108906.0

[knuklhed]

I think mwosborn is right, time to call this one the "fail" bow, and move on. I'm at 28", but less than 30#. Have not attempted shooting, only have the tillering string. I did make a gizmo, and it will certainly come in handy on the next. Hopefully the next will be better. Thanks for all advice!

[Roy from Pa]

They will get better and better.

We all learn from our mistakes.

Just enjoy the journey..

On your next bow, forget the d/r and just make a straight limb bow.

Use the gizmo and make it look like a 1/4 moon at full draw.

[mwosborn]

Roy is right - they will continue to get better and better.  Some of my early attempts don't look nearly as good as yours!

[Mark Smeltzer]

Roy is absolutely right they will continue to get closer to what you think is your goal. I've been tinkering with my boo backed quad lam  design for years. One of the biggest things for me is getting the fades right on a smaller riser and the amount of deflex in the riser design verses how much set I know the bow will take even with very careful tillering.
Mine go from almost unstringable to ....crap! I missed weight, very quickly.