QuoteOriginally posted by typical2:
I find that when I taper the ends of the overlays too much the tips are harder to clamp down to get nice thin glue lines.

This has been my motivation not to taper/shape them first. Is there some trick were missing?

I taper the end to paper thin, then wrap it with plastic wrap and then wrap a bunch of gum bands around it to clamp it down. I also wipe off the glue that creeps out the end and sides with a paper towel and alcohol.

Ive done it both ways and now I just cut the 3 layers to the total length, glue them with smooth-on wipe the excess off and cure them. Then I take them to the spindle sander. I put on two layers of tape on the glass and sand to the tape then finish by hand. after you have done several it goes pretty fast. I used to get into the glass but if you take your time you dont really have tomuch at all.

great thread. it always seems to come back to the K.I.S.S. principle. I just finished two bows and the sanding marks (80 grit) that I used for the tip overlays drove me nuts. Never occurred to me to use a finer grit. also tapering the end would save a lot of time.

I pre-glue thin strips of wood together with saran wrap between them and the limbs or riser to get them to the correct shape.  Then sand the ends to a very thin edge just like the fades on a riser. Then mask off everything you dont want glue on and glue them up with gorilla glue 5 min epoxy. Wipe off the excess from the tape and let it cure. When its done you have very little sanding left to do to make it a silky smooth transition.  I'm not cool enough to have a spindle sander yet and I hate hand sanding.

What kind of Bowyer doesn't like hand sanding? LOL  

I pre grind my overlays to the exact length I want them and cook them on with smooth on when I cook the bow. They come out so tight and perfect there is hardly anything that needs done to them. Belly overlays I usually epoxy on and wrap with plastic and then wrap tightly with innertube.
this is really an easy and fast process after you do the first few this way and you would not ever go back to putting them on afterwards.

God bless, Steve