QuoteOriginally posted by Zradix:
Alright, Thanks guys.
Sure am glad I have you boys to hold my hand...lol

I don't have any experience fitting tapers together...
I'm surprised that you can can two basically identical tapered pieces stacked tapered side to flat side.

Surprised there won't be a gap right where the taper starts after the parallel between the belly and core...

There won't be a gap where the taper starts after the parallel because it is sooooo gradual. Must work.. I've never seen a gap there.

QuoteOriginally posted by LittleBen:
... I usually make each lam the same thickness and taper if I can on a tri lam, that way each one is roughly 1/3 of the total thickness at any/all points along the limb....

please excuse my ignorance...

do/would you use a 3/16" or so backing with a taper too?

I thought most everyone used a 1/8" strip when using hickory...

There won't be a gap where the taper starts after the parallel because it is sooooo gradual.

Ah come on, Jeff. You know darn well there is gonna be a .0255 inch step there that will need sanded and checked with a $10,000.00 digital  micrometer:)


There was less planning involved in the first 3 Apollo missions combined than this bow.

Ya got that chit right, Benny Boy:)

please excuse my ignorance...

Ok this time we will:)

do/would you use a 3/16" or so backing with a taper too?

You could, but ya don't have to. However I do taper my boo backings, so I guess it wouldn't hurt.

NOW I GOTTA ASK, JOHN.
WHEN THE HELL ARE YOU GONNA START THIS BOW?

I'm retired and if you want to come to Pa for a couple days, we will get her glued up... I promise...              

Bring Old Style Beer wif ya:)

I dunno...sounds too complicated.

think I'm better off sticking with board bows.

It is a board bow, three thin pieces of wood glued together....

Zradix, I would love to see your Lego collection in your game room...      

Don't have a game room.
Never owned a lego either...lol

Son has a decent collection though..

Cool, have him help you with the bow layout then:)LOL

It doesn't have to be complicated, John.  I've made all of 3 R/D tri-lams, but I've found the most important thing to me is to make sure that I have a decent thickness of osage for the belly.  I made both the hickory back and cherry core 1/8" in the center tapered to 1/16" at the tips and used 5/16" straight osage for the belly.  I used my belt sander to taper the back and core lams, so I'm sure they were less than perfect, but I had enough osage on the belly to tiller it to the weight I wanted, 47# @ 27" (it's 66" tip to tip, 1 3/8" wide at the fades).  Imperfect tapers and all, it wound up a nice shooting bow and is still in one piece.  The sooner you get started, the sooner you'll be shooting yours.    

DON'T GET ME WRONG GENTS.
I'm VERY thankful for all of your help. VERY thankful.
I have some stuff in the works right now, but I'll be starting one pretty soon.

I just wanted to get my ducks in a row.
Just really needed some help for a good starting point guys.
..And you all helped out hugely for that.

When I build one I'll be better able to work off the design of this one and won't need to ask so much of all of ya.

Again Thanks for the help guys and good luck ( not that you need it) on your own bows.

         

I like 0.040 glass in my r/d bows.....Oh wait, ya'll are talking all wood bows here.  I guess I got lost with all the numbers and engineering going on in this thread        

Yup Mr. Sweka, I was about ready to head back to college to get my masters in math and engineering:)