This is basically the culmination of lots of trial and error on my trilam designs. Basically a standard r/d shape with tips flipped enough to just barely get string to limb contact.
Performance is excellent, accuracy is really great, and it'll draw to 30-31" without stacking or exploding.
This one is hickory back and core with an ipe belly. Chose hickory for eh core just cause I had a lot of it and it's cheap, although I do think it costs you a few FPS. I had the tip shear off of one with a walnut core so I'm trying to avoid that with a tougher core material, after all these are not flight bows so FPS is secondary to durability.
This is the third one built, the first went to my young cousin, the second to Fujimo (that lucky duck) and is one is going to a friend of my father in law who is an Amish woodworker up in NY. He's also getting some oak dowel arrows spine and weight matched to 5#spine and 10% mass. Average arrow weight 830-900gr :D . Wanted to give him something that will perform well on game and be basically indestructible.
Specs: 66" AMO, 65# @ 30", 12strands of 8125 with padded loops. Bocote and curly maple riser with hickory accent stripe. Cut to center. 1.4" wide at fades, 1.25" at mid limb and 7/16" tips.
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Benjaminklein/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-56.jpg) (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/Benjaminklein/media/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-56.jpg.html)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Benjaminklein/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-55.jpg) (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/Benjaminklein/media/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-55.jpg.html)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Benjaminklein/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-54.jpg) (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/Benjaminklein/media/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-54.jpg.html)
That is awesome! Amazing work, would love to see a full draw pic as well!
Very nice Ben! I like that one.
Full draw
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Benjaminklein/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-58.jpg) (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/Benjaminklein/media/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-58.jpg.html)
First two shots at 20yds by Dave Grant aka Canopyboy
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Benjaminklein/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-57.jpg) (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/Benjaminklein/media/Mobile%20Uploads/photo-57.jpg.html)
looks slick.
Very pretty. Nice work, Ben :thumbsup:
Looks great !
Very impressed!
That has some sexy curves Ben. Nice work!
That's a sweet bow!
NICE, Ben!!
Sweet!!!
Very Nice!
Very nice, Ben! What is the thickness of the ipe?
Beautiful bow and nice shooting too. :notworthy:
Wow Ben! It is really hard to believe that bow doesn't have glass in it. You do some amazing things with just wood.
Hey thanks for all the kind words.
Stan, the ipe is .190" butt thickness with a .002 taper.
I try to keep all the lams roughly the same thickness so they bend easily. Core is around .175 w/ .002 taper. IIRCThe backing is slightly thinner at around .150 also with .002 taper. Backing is thinner just cause it had to bend more around the riser. Just makes life a little easier on glue up.
Sweet bow, Ben. I wish I could get as much out of my all wood bows as you. I sure would like to know the lam thicknesses and tapers, if you would be willing to share.
I was wondering when Ben was going to post about this bow. It truly is amazing to see in person, and hard to believe it's not glass. Those first two shots were at 25 yds I think? That bow has some karma too, because I don't shoot like that. We took it to 40 yds and I just assumed it'd drop and put the first arrow into the top of the target frame. It has some amazing cast for a non-glass bow.
Ben's a great case study in the "if you want to get better -- practice, practice, practice" mantra. The guy cranks a lot of bows out of his little apartment and each one turns out better than the last. Although at this point, I'm not sure how much better there is...
Wow! Who needs glass when you can make them like that!
Hey thanks again for all the kind words!!
Ken, you know I can't help but share all the info. Most of my bows use .006 total taper. .002 per lam. You'll find the thicknesses posted above.
It's probably better to go down to .005 or .004 if you go much wider than 1.5". All my bows are also somewhere between pyramidal shape and full width out to about 2/3 of the limb.
Ben, that is plumb beautiful! Did you chrono it?
when you select the backing wood, is grain orientation as critical as with a self or board bow?
Just got to get into these tri lams!
Thanks, Ben. That is kinda what I thought I would try. Yours sure turned out well...again. :)
Mike, I haven't crono'd it, but just guessing from the point on distance I'd guess 160ish FPS w 500gr at 25" draw which is about 55lbs, and I'd venture to guess over 180 at a 29-30" draw with 500gr. I would tend to expect the same ~170FPS at 10gpp and 28-29" that I was getting with the others. Not record breaking but more than sufficient.
Regarding the backing grain. I believe the requirements for grain are the same whether it's a board or a multiple lam bow like this. Actually multi laminate bows or even backed bows might benefit more than a board from better grain since the belly can be made of very very strong wood. Whereas marginal hickory backing might still be capable of crushing a hickory belly, marginal hickory will fail before it crushes an ipe belly. So I'd say to get the most out of it( to push the limit of the belly wood) you probably need really good grain backing. FWIW I don't think this design is pushing the limits at this weight and draw with a full 1.4-1.5" width.
So long story short, I try to use really straight clean hickory, preferable rift sawn, but I've used 1/4 and flat sawn also. Don't know if it matters. Since I've been using hickory core too I select the better lams for the back and the lesser for the core. That way I can be picky and not waste much.
Been gone a few days...come back and see this!
Pretty lines. Looks great at brace. Looks great at draw.
Beautiful choice in woods and style for the I-beam and overlays.
Well done Ben!
very nice!
Boy is that a great looking bow.
As usual, I'm a bit behind the 8-ball.
That is one fine piece of craftsmanship!!
Very nice, I had not seen it either. :)
Very nice - looks like you have a nice recipe there!
Great looking bow. Nice group to.. :thumbsup:
Very nice Ben!
I'm gonna miss having Ben down here in VA and shooting his new bows.
That is a beauty Ben.
Missed it to. Very nice Benny! The wood combo is a real eye catcher.
That's one sharp looking bow right there
That bow is something. Great job!
Amazing looking bow and looks like a shooter too!
-Jay