Ok so this spring I designed and built a 54 in bow and I love it short and sweet @54 lbs it shoots a 535 gr arra 160fps.
Here's what I'm pondering; my 1st build was an 18 in riser with limb fades starting at riser, I get a miniscule amount of vibration. The few that have shot the bow like it but I am never satisfied. I was wondering in order to get a LOL mo performance out of this design should I maybe go to a 16in riser and start my limb fades 2in from riser or stick with 18 in riser and move fade 1-2 inches out doesn't really start stacking to bad now til about 29.5 inches. I love this design it is very hunter friendly just hoping to make it better.
Thanks in advance
Here is a.full draw pic took a little bit to get used to the string angle but wow she's fun to handle LOL
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z152/BigBadGablues/long%20bow%20build/58in%20shorty/100_1995.jpg)
Hey- post a picture of it at brace height- the full draw picture looks like it could use a p-lam to push the bend further out on the limb.
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z152/BigBadGablues/long%20bow%20build/58in%20shorty/100_1993.jpg)
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z152/BigBadGablues/long%20bow%20build/58in%20shorty/100_1983.jpg)
Here's a couple let me know what ya think
Looks to me that the vibration is coming from those heavy bending areas near your fades. I would try to either 1) add a p lam like trux mentioned or 2) add more taper to you lamination stack to get the bend more out in the limbs.
Ok now could I acomplish this by moving my limb fades out from my riser and maybe making my tips a oil thinner? Sorry I'm by no means a pro just learning as I go
Also any link to exactly what a p lam is I see the term just want to know 100% what it is
A powerlam is just a thin tapered lam that extends the riser length. Could do the same with a longer riser with longer fadeouts. Power lam is probably easier and doesn't require a longer piece of riser wood. Trux and Bjansen give good advice. How much taper do you have in your limbs.
I have 2 .095 @.002 core and 2 .035 paraell
The lams that came in today are the same would an additional 095 tappered at 002 cut off past the riser qualify as a power lam?
I made this bow with a 60 in form so i may make the next bow a 58 ntn bow an see what happens just scares me to shorten up the limbs any more. I mean 27-9=18 inch limbs. What do you guys think?
i think if you could whip something up laminate that would give soem bend in the handle , you would be well on your way.
almost looks to me like the limbs are too stiff on thhe outer 2/3...im no glass guy tho , so thats all im thinkin...
looks perty tho!
Ok let me elaborate on limb design. They are tapered to 3/4 in out to the last 8 inches then down to 1/2 in at tips.
Hmmm what if I tapered it to half inch out to the last 8 inches then took it straight out to the end? Just throwing out some thoughts.
Would he want the powerlam to run about 5 inches past the riser fades? I used one on my last recurve build and it worked nicely. Mine was 0.030 at end of riser fade and tapered down to paper thin. Trux, Bjansen and Jess have a lot more experience than myself and will have better advise....
I wouldn't have guessed you had .004 taper going on with your limbs but that should be plenty-- with my longbows I start at the fades and taper the limbs all the way to the nocks (if I want the nocks to be 1/2" that's how I mark them and taper to)-it does look like that mid limb is over powering the fades- hate to say I don't know if there is a standard way to figure the length of you p-lam- as a guess I would go with 3"s past the fades and run your p-lam all the way up belly ramp- something in the .030/.040 to zero thickness. If you build the next one longer it may act completly different- also I wouldn't worry about shortening the working limb with a p-lam- it will just move the bend out from the fades.
This is my first attempt using a power lam, the 30-06 bullets mark the end of riser fade and end of power lam. Right or wrong I used a veneer of 0.030 honduran rosewood and only faded the last 1 1/2" of each end, I ran it on the belly side between a red elm taper and the 0.020 ebony veneer (http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt46/Robertfishes/feb2011bow.jpg)
I like it...
ok sooo when i got home today i had a few min to look at my previous design and if i just go from fade out to nock it looks as though i would have a SOLID 1/8 in on both sides to trim off at just about mid limb... I'm thinking before i glue up another i'm going to re sand this one down and see if it improves the overall pic if not o well, shave a few pounds off and my wife can have it lol...
It will be interesting to see what the limbs look like after you reshape them. May not need p-lams or other changes.
Exactly what I was thinkin trux ill try it tonight and see what happens ill be sure to post pics
Ok here's the new pics any better to you
(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j377/armucheelongbows/f3bf3241-orig.jpg)
Ok I think no way the bow is smooth but here are the draw numbers from 27-31
(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j377/armucheelongbows/39f25b0b-orig.jpg)
And the hand shock dropped noticeably.... Get more time with her Tom...... What do you guys think
I'd put some p-lams in or extend the riser and as a wag go with .003 taper in the next one.
A power lam will soften the bend more than just makeing the riser longer. Also to change the string angle a tip wedge about 3-4 in. past the string groove will help or a bit more reflex in the limb.
im not a glass man , again , just for clarification ...
are your tips perhaps a bit wide?
i re-shaped the limbs so they are straight to the .5 in tip. here is a pic of the unstrung... to show R/D in the bow
(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j377/armucheelongbows/100_2006.jpg)
anyway thanks for all the help fellers... got the new supplies on the way... I'll make sure to keep ya up to date on how it goes...
Ok some fun stuff.... I am waiting on a lam but in the mean time I added a tip wedge wow.... That completely changed this bow it is smoooooooth as butter. Can't wait to see what happens to this design with a p. lam....
Fun isn't it...
Heckkkk yea trux esp when it works LOL