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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: stringstretcher on January 05, 2012, 05:58:00 PM

Title: Power Lams?
Post by: stringstretcher on January 05, 2012, 05:58:00 PM
How do you guys that use power lams in your bows go about making them?
Title: Re: Power Lams?
Post by: macbow on January 05, 2012, 08:23:00 PM
Most of mine have been for youth bows. I take about a 1/4 inch slat the right length and hot melt it to a thicker piece of wood like 3/4 inch. I use this to sand on the belt sander and the disc sander to get the taper down  and get it tapered to paper thin on the ends.Be careful don't use too much glue.
Ron
Title: Re: Power Lams?
Post by: rogers on January 05, 2012, 09:42:00 PM
My way is kinda redneck but it works like a charm for me.  I can't grind my own lams yet so I buy something cheap and light in a .030" parallel, I use walnut every time.  The following is what I use mainly for my 18" risered mild r/d longbow depending on draw length.  

I cut a 24" piece of .030" walnut out so my p-lam will run 3" past the fades on each end of the riser.  Then I'll measure like 3" or 4" from each end of the walnut and mark it.  Then I use a $20 orbital hand sander for Wally world to CAREFULLY and evenly sand down the ends so they are tapered down paper thin.  I do the same for tip wedges.
Title: Re: Power Lams?
Post by: Crooked Stic on January 05, 2012, 10:01:00 PM
no linking tom other broads. thanks<><
Title: Re: Power Lams?
Post by: dmikeyj on January 05, 2012, 10:24:00 PM
Thanks for the link, Mike.
Title: Re: Power Lams?
Post by: stringstretcher on January 06, 2012, 01:47:00 PM
Any one else care to offer up how they do it?
Title: Re: Power Lams?
Post by: Pat B on January 06, 2012, 02:33:00 PM
I've never used one Charlie bit I think I'd start with a board about 1/4" thick and taper the outter 1/3 of each end down to nothing leaving the center alone.
Title: Re: Power Lams?
Post by: wood carver 2 on January 06, 2012, 05:24:00 PM
You can use a bandsaw to carefully rough out the tapers then sand the rest of the way until you feather the tips.
Dave.