Glass Choices

[stillhunter]

So I see Bingham list three different glasses. Bow Tuff E, Core Tuff E, and Uni Weft. What is the difference? Just ordered glass over the years from many places so confused on these choices. Thanks.

[kennym]

Bow tuff is the glass for exterior on limbs, core tuff is .030 and sanded both sides .  Basically ul glass sanded both sides.

Uniweft is like uls sanded both sides and .030.  Didn't figure they still made uniweft since they quit making uls.

[stillhunter]

Thank you Kennym. Much appreciated.

[Kirkll]

That is really weird.... I can not find Gordon's composites web site any more.    Kirk

[Buggs]

That is really weird.... I can not find Gordon's composites web site any more.    Kirk

Here ya go;   https://reflex.polyone.com/products/advanced-composites/continuous-fiber-composite-tape-laminates-and-barstock/gordon-glass-archery-bow-limbs

[Kirkll]

Wow!   When did they change their name?

[mmattockx]

Wow!   When did they change their name?

I think they were bought by a larger corporation. It has been Polyone since at least early 2020.


Mark

[stillhunter]

My biggest fear since I started building in 1983 was the clear glass. I saw the high grade bows all decked out with nice woods and checkering and the glass would be full of streaks. Just horrible. I ordered the crystal clear for a little extra money for my last few builds. Hope this is a thing of the past for sure. Don't build enough bows anymore to know the state of it all. Need a project build for the winter so is this a concern anymore from any places that sell glass?

[Buggs]

Gordons sold out around 2016 to PolyOne Corp., who have since changed their name to Avient.

The glass streaks are a function of the size of the "thread" or "tow" of the glass fibers in the matrix.
I would imagine its costly to re-thread a pultrusion machine with fine tow glass, just to get a clearer product.
Here is a promo video, but it shows and explains the process well.

[Kirkll]

My biggest fear since I started building in 1983 was the clear glass. I saw the high grade bows all decked out with nice woods and checkering and the glass would be full of streaks. Just horrible. I ordered the crystal clear for a little extra money for my last few builds. Hope this is a thing of the past for sure. Don't build enough bows anymore to know the state of it all. Need a project build for the winter so is this a concern anymore from any places that sell glass?

A custom bowyer rarely guarantees absolutely clear glass. I always warn my customers that using dark veneers it shows up any imperfection of the glass, and i cannot guarantee the glass clarity.  Lighter colored veneers do not show the glass imperfections as much as the dark veneers.  I won't even build a set of limbs using ebony under glass, or Wenge either.... Better just using black glass. 

Black  Walnut has mixed results, but you never know.... Years ago i used to build a lot of bows with walnut veneers, and had some that were terrible.... Others came out beautiful.....  Its a crap shoot .....  always has been.        Kirk

[Mark R]

What Kirk said, you can check clear glass and usually get a pretty good idea how clear it is before lay up but 

[kennym]

The Bearpaw crystal clear isn't always that either.  Right now Gordons is as good.  I'm getting a new shipment of Gordon in a day or two, hope it's as good as the last bunch...

[Kirkll]

What Kirk said, you can check clear glass and usually get a pretty good idea how clear it is before lay up but 

Yes.... but dark veneers show any little imperfection in the glass... sometimes there are cloudy spots, and streaks you just cant see. Another common occurrence is tiny stress cracks developing after the bow has been shot for awhile. Nothing that jeopardizes the structural integrity, but it looks bad.... This so called clear glass we buy is unpredictable, and i do not warranty the glass for clarity.... period....

I've had customers go over my bows with a magnifying glass looking for imperfections before. Some guys you are never going to make happy, no matter how nice your product is. So i'm up front on clear glass imperfections that i have no control over.     Kirk

[garyschuler]

I don’t make bows anymore except for grandkids
And family. I quit using clear glass years ago, simply could not bear to put the effort into creating a bow for a customer knowing that the glass might show streaks as the bow aged in sunlight and the veneers darkened. I was always up front about that and would not warranty clear glass.
 Just got to the point where I could not deal with that in my gut and just quit making commercially. I am still bald but I sleep a little better now. I
used the Caramel glass almost 100 percent of the time but now you can’t get that either. I’ll stick to grey and black glass for my future family builds.  Nothing against the clear if the customer knows what might happen, but not for me anymore.

[Kirkll]

With the cost of wood going up so much, and the cost of clear glass at $30 a stick, i barely cover my cost charging $100 for clear glass over veneers.  I don't want to raise my prices any more, but ....as materials keep going up in price, and  the hardwood gets more scarce, i have to charge extra for special order stuff.

I cant hardly find decent Bubinga or Bocote any more....