Author Topic: Limb taper  (Read 8597 times)

Offline Susquehannariverarcher

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Limb taper
« on: February 01, 2024, 09:06:17 AM »
My first bow is starting to look like a bow (thanks to you guys). I've learned a few things I need to work on for the next one. But right now I'm looking for tips on getting the limb tapers lined up with each other better.

My bandsaw wandered quite a bit and then I've been working it down on my oscillating belt sander. A larger belt sander would be nice but not in the cards right now. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Online OldRawhide42

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2024, 09:26:44 AM »
Sandpaper on a long flat board will help. It just takes longer.

Offline Susquehannariverarcher

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2024, 09:41:26 AM »
I'll give that a try tonight

Online Kirkll

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2024, 10:26:39 AM »
What exactly are you sanding there?

 I’m having a though time understanding what you mean by getting your tapers lined up with each other. :dunno: :dunno:
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Offline Susquehannariverarcher

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2024, 10:48:07 AM »
Sorry Kirk still working on the lingo. But I started my taper 12" from center and tapered the limbs off to the tips. I rough cut it on the band saw. In hindsight I cut it too close to my line. Then sanded the limbs down on my sander.

Basically I'm looking for any suggestions on doing this better. By lining up I mean a nice even taper on each side. Mine are slightly wavy and kinda look like crap.

Offline Crooked Stic

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2024, 11:02:30 AM »
Have you got a tablesaw? If so you can use a 7 1/4 concrete blade to trim close to the line then sand to the line with edge sander or long block, also you can dedicate a regular tablesw blade for sawing glass won't be much good for anything else.
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Offline Susquehannariverarcher

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2024, 11:16:31 AM »
No table saw yet. I'll keep that in mind for the future. Do you just free hand it or do you use some kind of jig to have a perfect angle every time?

Online Kirkll

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2024, 01:07:38 PM »
Sorry Kirk still working on the lingo. But I started my taper 12" from center and tapered the limbs off to the tips. I rough cut it on the band saw. In hindsight I cut it too close to my line. Then sanded the limbs down on my sander.

Basically I'm looking for any suggestions on doing this better. By lining up I mean a nice even taper on each side. Mine are slightly wavy and kinda look like crap.

So you are building an all wood laminated bow here? or self bow?  I'm still not understanding what you are doing here, and it's hard to make suggestions until we have that established... 

How much wood working experience do you have?   Kirk

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Offline Susquehannariverarcher

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2024, 01:41:49 PM »

So you are building an all wood laminated bow here? or self bow?  I'm still not understanding what you are doing here, and it's hard to make suggestions until we have that established... 

How much wood working experience do you have?   Kirk

It's a fiberglass backed bow. And I'm asking about tapering the limbs down so they are narrower at the tip end.

And I have a decent bit of woodworking experience. But I'll admit I'm very rusty.

Online Mad Max

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2024, 02:03:32 PM »
Finished Width of the bow limbs Kirk

You could make a thin template (1/16" to 1/8") and take your time making it as prefect as possible, put some wide masking tape on the bow limbs and spring clamp the template to the limbs and trace around it.  belt sander to close to the line, finish like rawhide said.
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Offline Susquehannariverarcher

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2024, 02:19:49 PM »
Yep that's what I meant. Thanks Max. Sounds like I'm on the right track. Thanks for the information.

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #11 on: February 01, 2024, 02:23:14 PM »
On a short belt sander you really have to watch the line on both ends to keep from over sanding in 1 spot, most of us have long sanders to sand the whole side at 1 time. much better
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Offline Crooked Stic

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2024, 02:26:43 PM »
When you make that template be sure to mark center first. Then center mark your limb. I drilled small holes on the center line in the template then line the center thru the holes before marking.
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Offline Susquehannariverarcher

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #13 on: February 01, 2024, 02:42:20 PM »
On a short belt sander you really have to watch the line on both ends to keep from over sanding in 1 spot, most of us have long sanders to sand the whole side at 1 time. much better

Yep that's the issue I was running into. I think on the next one. I'll keep it back a little further from the line and then finish by hand. Seems like it will talk longer but save me in the long run.

Offline Susquehannariverarcher

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #14 on: February 01, 2024, 02:43:55 PM »
When you make that template be sure to mark center first. Then center mark your limb. I drilled small holes on the center line in the template then line the center thru the holes before marking.

Ok that's good to know. Right now I just marked my tips 5/16 off center. And used a ruler to mark the taper.

You guys are all awesome. Hopefully I'll be posting a finished bow this weekend!

Offline Crooked Stic

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #15 on: February 01, 2024, 07:10:23 PM »
Pretty sure you will get better results with a template
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Offline Susquehannariverarcher

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #16 on: February 01, 2024, 08:05:18 PM »
Pretty sure you will get better results with a template
I bet. I'll try that on my next one.

Online Kirkll

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #17 on: February 01, 2024, 08:38:12 PM »
OK..... Terminology  got me there... When we are talking about taper, it's typically the thickness of the limbs and rated in thousandths of an inch...  .002 forward taper, .003 or .001 FT for example.

Shaping a width profile can be as complex or easy as you want to make it.... A lot of guys use masking tape to lay out dead center of the limb and then use a straight edge to lay out the limbs width. The problem i always found doing that was the tape fuzzes up when you are sanding to the lines and you loose your line altogether when ya get close using a sander.

What i found to be the best solution is making limb width patterns from formica, and drill a 1/4" hole dead center where my tip notches are located. then after getting a center line on the limbs i clamp the pattern on the limb and use spray paint to get an exact pattern on the limbs. 

I use a big edge sander to shape the edges down to size, and always leave a 16th of an inch of the paint line on the glass. this leaves me a wee bit extra limb width at the tip, so when i put my temp string notches in the limbs and check the draw weight, i can also deepen one side or the other for limb alignment issues that may occur.

Whether you use a palm sander, an edge sander, or do it by hand with a long block. you need long smooth strokes to fair it in. Then after it looks good, close your eyes and run your fingers down the edge. Often times you can feel things you can't see, or don't notice...  .02 cents worth.

Here are a few photos of my system. Hope this helps.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KxQCbbQovLvFAePt9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YKDN29wyr6SC4S2j7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kwuYZBXf8eZfm7FW6





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Offline Susquehannariverarcher

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #18 on: February 01, 2024, 08:52:46 PM »
Thanks Kirk. And yeah that's this issue I was running into. The tape was getting all gummed up and frayed making it a pain to follow the line. I'm gonna try the template next time. Looks like yours are full length, I'm guessing that's more accurate.

Online dbeaver

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Re: Limb taper
« Reply #19 on: February 02, 2024, 08:12:02 AM »
I'm looking to make a permanent formica template to ease the process, but as for what I have been doing; I mark center like described and use a flexible straight edge clamped to the limbs to set the limb profile. Instead of marking with a pencil I use a razor and when I'm done marking each limb I pull the tape and it give me a super clear indication of where to sand. If the tape starts to curl you're going past your line.   Everything without tape sands away just fine.

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