Flip the wedge?

[katalyzt]

So what happens when you flip the wedge so the long flat side is facing the back of the limb and the taper/pad are on the belly side of the limb?  A little back story to this question...

I built a new limb press, my third I believe, and I really took my time to make it nice and square and super smooth with a strip of formica.  It's great, I'm proud of it.  However... This time I built it so that after I glue up the stack I lay it on the side of the form for the back of the limb.  Hooray for easier taping!  Now the problem is, is that I made it super smooth all the way straight back not accounting for the rise in the wedge.  Hero to zero.  I did compensate for the overall additional thickness of the wedge so it still fits I'm just a little unsure of the results of various directions I can take this (now) experiment and am currently looking for any thoughts or insights about the situation I now find myself. 

So what happens if I flip the wedge as described in the original question so that the flat side of the wedge is running along the flat part of the form? How does this affect draw weight and the overall feel/stacking? Or a different direction of maybe I don't need to flip the wedge in the first place and the pressure from the hose will be great enough as to press the wedge taper flat against the form?  And of course the option of just pull that formica strip up and sand a taper in there which would then increase the overall allowable thickness in the form which should be taken up by the hose? maybe not? Or is it time for limb press number four? 

The pursuit of the perfect limb press continues.

[Crooked Stic]

You will be fine with a taper wedge. Or even a flat on it as long as the flat stays on the limb pad (Not too short).and use spacers if the gap too big.

[jrstegner]

I might have done that myself once. You can just make a wedge with a straight taper, or you can flip the wedge, just make sure your flat spot is long enough to sit on your limb pads. If you put your wedge in how you intended to, the air hose will actually bend the wedge and you will have a very small flat spot to sit on the limb pad. The easiest thing to do, is just use a wedge with a straight taper.

[Mad Max]

The Tyvek is the form?
If yes the form is good with the wedge laying in it on picture 1 and 2
Picture 3 is wrong

[katalyzt]

Excellent thank you guys!  So it sounds like flipping it isn't really going to affect the overall feel/draw of the bow and certainly won't be a bad thing as long as I'm taking into account that there needs to be a flat area for the pad.  Onward and forward!

@Max Yes the Tyvek is my solution for an epoxy non-stick surface (kind of works  )

[Kirkll]

Actually.... You don't even need a flat side to your wedge at all. I mill all my wedges with a straight taper both sides, and don't have to worry about which side goes up. But.... i use long lean wedges.
.25" to nothing in 12".

That slight taper of my wedge isn't exactly parallel to the limb pads, but the bezel washer handles that slight difference unnoticeably.  Makes life a lot easier.    Kirk

[kennym]

I'm with Kirk on the straight taper.

  All I watch is end grain so they match on limb butts when on bow. And that probably doesn't ever get looked at either...

[katalyzt]

Hmmm I'm liking this straight taper method.  I'm going to have to give it a go. 

[kennym]

It makes the bow sleeker imo without the flat on wedge

[Mad Max]

I have built some with a straight taper like Kirk too.

[Kirkll]

I started out using a flat spot on one side too... after getting one flipped the wrong way several times....    I said i'm done with this system and went to straight taper wedges....

Then i started building aftermarket Bear limbs... All bets are off on those funky wedges.

I did a number of bows just using power lams instead of wedges, and they work great and look cool.... but there is twice as much millwork.  I seldom use power lams on TD bows any more. But i still use a double ended power lam on my one piece bows.     Kirk

[katalyzt]

Haha so how many am I gonna screw up before I entirely convert to straight taper is the real question?

For this set of limbs I'm going to, perhaps foolishly and against some of the sound advice by very qualified individuals, proceed with a flat spot taper but flipped so the flat is running on the back of the limb.  In my head that's looking really cool so I want to see how it goes I guess.  Solid reasoning 

[Kirkll]

Ha!   You'll still be screwing bows up after many years of building them bro.... You get in the groove and just make one wrong move without giving it a thought.  My favorite boo boo was flipping the whole stack putting it into the form.     Now if i did it on the first limb, i could sometimes just flip the other one over too and save the lay up....But Noooooo... its typically on the second limb i pull something like that.

Just the other day i was doing tip overlays. I have a system i use where i laminate the overlays wrapped in plastic and clamp them to the limb tips slightly curved shape. Then i take them out and pre shape the transition to the glass to a razor sharp edge before gluing them on the limb.....

Somehow i was in auto pilot or something, and flipped the overlay end for end and glued it to the tip without noticing it.   (I had a lot of other irons in the fire that day)  So there i am shaking my head thinking how on earth am i going to sand this transition to the glass and make it look the same once its glued to the limb?....... Simple.... I'm not....    So i ground off the tip overlay and started from scratch.

Moral of story.... There is a boo boo or an oooops waiting to happen at any time regardless of how long you've been doing this. I could list dozens of things that are easily screwed up too, but you'll figure those out yourself.   But sometimes..... an ooops can become a revelation that makes you rethink things.        Kirk

[beachbowhunter]

Kirk I recall you had a whole "oops" thread going back in the day on one forum or another... Gotta say that an oops making a bow seems to make me feel dumber than usual!

[Kirkll]

Kirk I recall you had a whole "oops" thread going back in the day on one forum or another... Gotta say that an oops making a bow seems to make me feel dumber than usual!

I know what you mean bro..

Learning carpentry at a very young age my dad used to say to me; "Everyone makes mistakes.... But the true measure of any craftsman is to "give the illusion of perfection", and learn how to make the imperfections blend in and not catch the eye. "    That's also why you start teaching apprentice finish carpenters by working on the inside of closet doors.    Kirk