Flat spots on limbs

[buckeyebowhunter]

Guys, after glueing up my limbs for my take down i noticed flat spots which i realize are imperfections in my form.  They're not real noticeable with the naked eye but i can feel them when i run my hand across the limbs. I'm still learning a lot since this is my first attempt but are these flat areas harmful to the integrity of the bow? And how do you get rid of the flat spots in the form when you've cut it with a band saw or is it possible to get rid of them?  Thanks for all the help!

[Shredd]

How are you sanding the form??

  The flat spots should not be a problem unless they were extreme... If extreme then you might have a problem with a difference of stresses in a small area which could possibly lead to failure...

[JamesV]

The flat spots should not hurt the integrity but maybe the performance will suffer.  With a little work you can eliminate the flat spots in your form. I used a 12-14" 1x2 with 80 grit paper attached and sprayed a guide coat (flat black) to the face of the form.  Light sanding will show you the flat spots and where to sand with long strokes, or you can fill the flat spots with bondo and sand until the form is uniform.

Hope this helps

James

[buckeyebowhunter]

Shredd, i sanded first with a spindle sander then finished with a sanding block and then glued a strip of formica to the form. I honestly thought i had taken care of the flat spots but after gluing they showed up. They're not awful. But they are noticeable. I guess I'll shoot it an see what happens. Thanks for the replies.

[Bvas]

How did you hold/clamp the formica in place?

I bend a piece of glass over the form to reveal  flat spots.  I would assume a piece of formica would do the same. 
I'm thinking you may have created the flat spots with uneven pressure while putting the formica on.

[Crooked Stic]

Bondo it and block sand until flat. I use about a .060 A-boo lam on the form face. I use a router table and a pattern bit. I still bondo and sand for any uneveness.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Bvas. You are probably correct. I used the top half of the form as the pressure for gluing the formica. And it was not a good cut by any means. This probably did not help with the flat spots. Never even thought of that being harmful at the time.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Here is a pic of the limbs strung. You can see the bad spots. Also a lot of hand shock/ kick when shooting the bow. Limb form obviously needs some work.  [ Invalid Attachment ]

[Wolftrail]

I know some guys build bulkier heavier risers (handles) to absorb the vibes.

[Bvas]

How bout a pic of the limb unstrung

[buckeyebowhunter]

The bow looks nice. But the limbs are definitely not the most graceful things in the world.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Another question for you guys. When i string her up it makes a ton of awful noise. I do have finish on the riser but haven't finished the limbs yet. It sounds like popping/ cracking from the riser also hear it some when shooting. But when i take it apart i see no damage on the riser or limb butts. Is it rubbing on the finish or is it getting ready to fail/blow up?   

[Crooked Stic]

Limb pads and pins need lube. After you finish them. string wax or petroleum jelly.

[Roy from Pa]

Riser looks very nice.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Thanks for the replies!  And thanks Roy I'm pretty happy with how the riser came out. 

[Crooked Stic]

How does it look at full draw ? your noise and shock could be a limb timing issue.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Stic, ill try to get a pic tomorrow.

Also put wax on limb pads. No more creeking. Thanks for the tip!

[Flem]

Looks like you got a nice riser for the next set of limbs 

[buckeyebowhunter]

Here is a pic of the bow drawn. The limbs are surprisingly smooth drawing. This is not a great pic as it was taken at the school. I apologize.

[Bvas]

Hard to tell much on the bow with it canted in the pic. But the bandsaw behind you looks sweet