Getting ready to cut some ERC for veneers on my next layup. How thick is the best for a layup. I was going to sand the ERC to .040, but I went on 3 rivers and they do tappers starting at .065. I thought the veneer was only there to look pretty?? I know the veneers  play a part in the overall layup but I thought the cores played a bigger part in that?? Thanks Jim g

I think your thinking is correct.  I buy all my veneers at .040 thick.  This works for me.  Just my $.02 worth.  We'll see what others have to say.

I make my veneers .015-.020 thick.

Most all of my veneers are .025" to .030"

Troy

I'm getting ready to do some of this myself, and I've been told that the veneers are just as strong as any lams, but obviously if you want more core strength, you need thicker cores.  I'm planning on .050 for all mine, and that should work out fine for my design.

With ERC   "Thin To Win" is best.  I do all my veneers @ 20-25.

Shawn

.030 for me.

ERC is not real stiff or strong, so thinner is better IMO . Too thin and they get floppy with glue on em, gotta be careful then.

I like .025 to .030

Real pretty tho!

Dumb newbie question - I assume the veneer material is applied to the outside of the limb (outside of the core / fiberglass laminations) and is merely for cosmetics and doesn't contribute to strength? The reason I ask is that I've been thinking about laser cutting ornamental wood patterns from thin wood veneer material to make the bow limbs look unique. I'm pretty sure putting these in between the glass layers in the structural laminate stackup is bad juju right? If I'm on track here, do you just bond the veneer material to the limbs during the core lam fabrication step? If I'm off base, someone set me straight.

Erwincm if by outside the limb you mean- glass, veneer, core lams, veneers, glass then you are correct. You do have to account for the thickness of your veneers in your stack as they are part of your core.

Mostly my veneers are much thicker, around .065'' - .080''.

Thanks guys,I like the thinner part also, might get a few extras out of a board. I'll find out how well my grinding setup works with that thickness. Jim

One of my friends had a nice carbon backed Habu.. I think the very thin veneer was on the outside on top of the carbon??? Anybody know about Habu bows or was I not seeing it as it really was??

Robert I think I read a while back where sixby had done this to a bow for a guy.  I think he glued a 20 on the carbon and really dressed her up

Shawn, I wonder if the .020 outside the glass/carbon is added in the stack or not?

Not sure but I think I read where sixby did it after the customer had gotten his bow.  Don't know what it added for weight.  Probably not much after it was sanded and trapped/chambered on the edges.   Dale stahl told me to figure one pound for every thousandths ground off carbon.  So it could be figured that way as a guess.  Guessing maybe 4 pounds or so gained.  

Maybe ill try it on my next carbon layup.

I couldn't decide if it would add bow weight or just physical weight on the outside...  

Interesting about gluing veneers on the outside of the glass.

Back to the original question.  ERC makes a fine bow limb, no need to use veneers.  It's so light you need to overbuild your bow by 5-8 lbs if you're going to use it for all your limb laminations.

I've got some 1" thick stock I could cut up to laminate for a riser. Would I be ok using it for a riser??? Might be a bit soft??? Thanks Jim g

QuoteOriginally posted by Trux Turning:
Erwincm if by outside the limb you mean- glass, veneer, core lams, veneers, glass then you are correct. You do have to account for the thickness of your veneers in your stack as they are part of your core.

No, I literally meant applying a veneer to the outside of the glass and lams. Said another way, it would be just like applying a veneer to the outside of the limb of a finished bow. I'd actually much rather sandwich the veneer between the glass/lam stackup but wouldn't laser cutting a wood inlaid veneer from multiple types of wood create a structural issue? Wouldn't the limb twist a bit as a result of the non-homogenous veneer wood?