I,ve noticed with some bowyers that their bow tips are sort of their trademark or "signature". (Dwyer bows is a good example.) I am thinking of doing the same sort of thing and I am in need of ideas. Please post pictures of some of your favorite tip styles! Hopefully this will get me headed in the right direction...
Do a search on Apex Predator, there is a similar tip request post somewhere on here where Marty put up tons of great closeups of his tips on what must have been several dozen bows.
Apex is a master of tips! I make a simple bow and I seem to mostly use (bottom to top) 030 glass,1/16" phenolic,030 glass and a piece of limb veneer on top.. (http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt46/Robertfishes/2ndlbtip-1.jpg) (http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt46/Robertfishes/bow8toptip.jpg)
looks like I used 030 glass,030 glass, 1/16" phenolic,025 veneer on this one..I think Toelke and three Rivers Tomahawk LB's have interesting and nice bow tips (http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt46/Robertfishes/bow7tip.jpg)
I only build wooden bows, but I like wood/horn laminations, as well as brush nocks:
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Custom%20BBO/HPIM4039.jpg)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Osage%20Static%20Recurve%20for%20Maggie/HPIM3710.jpg)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Osage%20Static%20Recurve%20for%20Maggie/HPIM3723.jpg)
(http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae321/isaacscr/Osage%20Static%20Recurve%20for%20Maggie/HPIM3731.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/img1268797822584.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/img1274817077895.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/img1274833381298.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/img1281993627999.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/img1285172886711.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/img1251321242186.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/img1261510133002.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/img1262560972726.jpg)
Rosewood on the last Osage longbow I made.
These aren't close ups, but you can get the idea. Very simple one piece wood design for funtion and not stylish looks.
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/BillsBow5Complete003.jpg)
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/BillsBow5Complete006.jpg)
Making nice tips that match on both limbs and blend nicely into the limbs is about the toughest thing to do when building a bow. Each bow I build I get a little bit better, but I'm still a long way from some that I see on here.
The hardest part for me is sanding the angle on the tip. I'm always worried that I won't get the tip overlay close enough to the ring that I sanded off and it will lift a splinter right there. Any tips, advice, observations, or insight on that? I know it's not an issue with glass bows, but self bows it is an issue.
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/H027105.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/02910-4.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/03210-10.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/W037107.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/AP03610-5.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/W040103.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/W041108.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/H02309-Ben-7.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/H02209-6.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/H01909-5.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/AP01809-Vern-9.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/FirstHybrid-5.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/01609-RC-6.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/01008-6.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/Apex6-6.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/Apex6-7.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/Apex5-6.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/Apex4-4.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Apex-Predator/Apex%20bows/Apex4-5.jpg)
Here is a tutorial I did a while back that shows how I do my tips.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=002301
someone should try an acrylic tip overlay. might be cool. just layer it up like you do phenolic. might look good.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/IMG_1013.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/IMG_1017.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/Bows/IMG_1322.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/IMG_0996.jpg)
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k258/matter_daddy/DSCN0871.jpg)
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k258/matter_daddy/DSCN0868.jpg)
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k258/matter_daddy/DSCN0882.jpg)
This thread is the shnitzel. Some amazing work being presented here on the bench. My small but honest offering to the pot.
(http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/jonnoocha/2.jpg)
(http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/jonnoocha/Bow%206/IMG_5246.jpg)
Here's one of my osage selfbows, backed with snakeskin, and with purple heart overlays.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v701/Squishy_brain/57477_10100378664814494_2345954_67897601_6140092_o.jpg)
That's probably my favorite wood combo.
I think everyone's tips are very unique and provide a signature to their style they all look awesome
Here are some of mine. I like small tips the best.
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/Bows004-1.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/Bows002.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0120-1.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0104.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0070.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0188-2.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0012-2.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0092.jpg)
I don't do anything fancy yet..just simple nocks.
Still need to try some overlays. So far I like my tie on nocks on narrow tips
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p67/aznboi3644/Bows/PB240137.jpg)