Learning to build ASLs

[boxerboxer]

If I wanted a 69" 45 - 50# ASL  here's what I would do.

14" riser
From back to belly:
0.050 glass
0.100 butt thickness 0.002 taper lam
0.100 butt thickness 0.002 taper lam
0.100 butt thickness 0.001 taper lam
0.085 thickness parallel lam
0.050 glass

Total stack thickness = 0.485

Limb width = 1 1/8" from the center of the bow out 14" on each limb, and then tapering to 1/2" at the string grooves.

Send Kenny M an email with your material list.  Unless you're building a lot of bows, I think you're better off just buying lams rather than grinding your own (but I'm a lazy person by nature).

Appreciate it. I know I don't want tip overlays for aesthetic reasons, but do I need to worry about tip wedges?

[jsweka]

If you plan on using fast flight strings, you should add fiberglass tip wedges.
I never use tip wedges, but I do put overlays on.

[Flem]

You can make anything you want with that access You should buy a grinding sled from Kenny and mill your own lams. Everything else is low tech with a basic Hill style. Maple is a great choice for limbs.
How you planning on squeezing everything together?

So to make a lam with 0.001"/1" taper I would take a piece slightly thicker than the lam butt thickness I want, put it on the 0.001" sled, run it through the planer, then check butt thickness (can I use a digital caliper, which I have, or do I need a micrometer) and keep planing til target butt thickness?

To squeeze everything together I was thinking I could use a flat board as bottom form and some clamps with cauls for the top.

You got it all. Except I would run the slats to be tapered thru a sander rather than a planer. Cauls are good for the riser ramps and long pressure strips for the limbs if you are using clamps

[boxerboxer]

You got it all. Except I would run the slats to be tapered thru a sander rather than a planer. Cauls are good for the riser ramps and long pressure strips for the limbs if you are using clamps

I was wondering about the planer maybe not being the best option. I'm not sure I have access to a sander that would let me effectively grind lams, so I may just get the lams from Kenny this time and pick a sander up down the line.

[Flem]

You said you have access to a drum and a belt sander? Either one will do the job

[boxerboxer]

You said you have access to a drum and a belt sander? Either one will do the job

The only sander other than handheld ones I know I have access to is an edge sander, and I'm not sure there's a good way to do it on the edge sander. I haven't used it since 10+ years ago when I was building cabinet doors for him and don't really remember much about it. Next time I'm in the shop I'll refresh my memory on what's there.

[Flem]

Sorry to give you unwarranted encouragement, this statement made me think you were good to go!

"Of particular relevance are the band saw and both belt and drum sanders and we both have lots of clamps."

[boxerboxer]

Sorry to give you unwarranted encouragement, this statement made me think you were good to go!

"Of particular relevance are the band saw and both belt and drum sanders and we both have lots of clamps."

You had every reason to, apparently. I'm not sure what I intended to type there but I guess with all the tools rattling around in my brain I just typed the wrong ones there.

[boxerboxer]

Sorry to give you unwarranted encouragement, this statement made me think you were good to go!

"Of particular relevance are the band saw and both belt and drum sanders and we both have lots of clamps."

In the case of "belt sander", when I wrote that I thought an edge sander WAS a belt sander.