I'm probably going to get a bit of a blast for this, but... Based on a lot of experience, owning more than 30 Hills and building a bunch of Hill styles over the last few years, my answer is flat out... extra lams on lighter bows are of no practical use.
The usual argument for them is increased smoothness, and makes excellent sense on heavier bows. If you think of the working of wood cells/fibers in a bow, i.e. the stretching of the fibers on the back and the compression on the belly, it is much like the movement of marching men in a column. The guys on the outside of a curve have to move faster/farther than the ones on the inside, who have to bunch up. The wider the column of marching men, the greater this effect is.
If you think in terms of a thicker piece of wood, as opposed to two thinner pieces, you reduce that effect in terms of each piece of wood being able to move a bit less and spreading the pressure. Over 50 pounds I think you can feel that extra smoothness... go for a Big Five or a Wesley. Over 60#, a Wesley. As noted above, if you like a different model for appearance's sake, Craig will add a lam for you (for additional money).
If you're one of those sensible people who shoot 45# or less, enjoy your Tembo or whatever you like.
My other concern with number of lams is that glue is heavier than most good bow wood, so too many glue lines, or thick glue lines, can have the effect of slowing down the limbs, which kind of counters any benefit of greater smoothness you might think to gain from extra laminations.
Long as I'm babbling here, I'll add a couple of other thoughts. I build a lot of real light bows, 30# range, and I frequently do two lams with excellent results. Just on a whim, I once did a one lam and while i can feel that it is a tiny hair stiffer, it's still one of my favorite bows (all cherry... looks as nice as it shoots). I do like an extra lam sometimes as an appearance factor. I've often planned a two lam or four lam bow, then stuck a thin extra lam in it so that I could make the middle lam a contrast lam of darker or lighter color. That's just me, though. I like to play with wood.
Now, one final caution... all of these are just my thoughts, none are certified as universal truths, and if you are cranking them into your decision to buy a Hill, for heaven's sake, talk it over with Craig. He knows me and may cheerfully tell you I'm nuts! And, in the final analysis, he'll do what you want and make it work beautifully... from a 90# Tembo to a 25# Wesley.
Topic: Question about Hill bows (Read 576 times)
