tip overlays

rockkiller · February 27, 2017, 11:04:00 AM

First I want to thank all on this site who help hobby types like me and that being said I have another question.
The few bows I have build have been Kennym designs and I use fast flight strings on them.I have always put a 1/16 piece of phenolic and a piece of whatever wood.
What I was wondering is the phenolic necessary? Or can just a couple pieces of 1/16 hardwood be ok?

KenH · February 27, 2017, 11:32:00 AM

Depends on the hardwood -- Fastflight is known to cut into ordinary wooden tips, hence the overlays. If you overlay with some srious hard woods like Wenge, African Blackwood, Ebony, Snakewood or Lignum Vitae, you should be good with just wood overlays.

rockkiller · February 27, 2017, 11:46:00 AM

Was thinking walnut,red elm,maple.

Pat B · February 27, 2017, 12:07:00 PM

I have 2 Dano osage bows, both with FF string and neither with tip overlays. In many cases tip overlays are cosmetic and not necessary.

macbow · February 27, 2017, 01:58:00 PM

I think any of those would work if you saturatedmthe grain with super glue after cutting in the grooves.

February 27, 2017, 02:26:00 PM

If you wanna be safe glue a .025" F/G lam on before the wood...

mwosborn · February 27, 2017, 05:35:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B:
I have 2 Dano osage bows, both with FF string and neither with tip overlays. In many cases tip overlays are cosmetic and not necessary.

I agree! With that being said, I do like the looks of various tip overlays.

jsweka · February 27, 2017, 06:59:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by mwosborn:

QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B:
I have 2 Dano osage bows, both with FF string and neither with tip overlays. In many cases tip overlays are cosmetic and not necessary.
I agree! With that being said, I do like the looks of various tip overlays. [/b]

Want another opinion - I disagree! - LOL!

I had a bow that came to me with FF on it and I had an accidental dry fire due to using an arrow nock that was too large for the skinny string. On both limb tips, the string cut right through what little overlays it had, through the string grooves, and down into the limb glass. Bow ruined and lesson learned. I will NEVER use FF on a bow without reinforced tips. Accidental dry fires can and do occur. Just my experience.

kennym · February 27, 2017, 07:18:00 PM

Better safe than sorry, phenolic is cheap compared to the completed bow.

In John's case, I'll bet the bow was beyond any repair....