Do i need a tip wedge for my hill style?

typical2 · February 04, 2012, 06:04:00 AM

I am making a couple of 68-69" straight limb longbows. I want to basically copy my H Hill bows so I am going to have narrow limb profile (1.09"). I am thinking three. 002 tapers and one parallel. Stack will be ~.580 to give me a a bow pulling in the 50s. I have a 30" draw.

Do I need to put in tip wedges, like my hill bows have or would I be OK without?

I notice that Northern Mist longbows have no wedges and they seem to shoot great.

Thanks,

Eric

jsweka · February 04, 2012, 07:04:00 AM

No, you don't need a tip wedge. Like you said, Northern Mist bows don't have one.

I've never used one in my Hill Style bows, but I also don't use that much taper in mine - only one 0.002 taper. Not saying my way is better, just different.

bjansen · February 04, 2012, 07:26:00 AM

I don't think a wedge will make much difference on a 68" bow. I add them sometimes when I am going to use a very thin (.080) tip overlay but I have not noticed a difference with our without.

typical2 · February 04, 2012, 09:54:00 AM

I think that the Northern Mists, that don't have wedges, also don't have quite as much taper. However, the difference is only a .001 or. .002 per inch, according to my crude measurements. I'm not sure how much that can effect a bow.

Should I back the taper off to. 004 per inch or just build it at .006 and see how it shoots? I want to stick with thin limbs.

Thanks,

Eric

jsweka · February 04, 2012, 10:59:00 AM

No harm in experimenting. With more taper, the tips will move more and the string angle at full draw will get closer to 90 degrees (especially at 30"). Once you get close to 90 degrees it might start to stack.

Last summer at Denton Hill, Steve Turray told me he adjusts for a customer's draw length by changing taper rate to try to get just shy of 90 degrees at the customer's draw length. That gives you the best performance without stack.

kennym · February 04, 2012, 11:19:00 AM

Great advice form all.

On a narrow bow, say 1 1/8" at the fades, you can use more taper than on a 1.5", just because you have less taper from the 1 1/8" at fades to 1/2" at tips than you do on the wider ones.

So you use more taper back to belly than on the limb edges.

Clear as mud, huh? LOL

typical2 · February 04, 2012, 01:02:00 PM

Thank s guys,

I think I'm going to start with a .004 taper per inch and see how that shoots. I think I'll be able to glue it up on Monday. Can't wait!

Crooked Stic · February 04, 2012, 08:14:00 PM

Yep I would go with .004 Are you sure about that stack? I have never built bows that long but it sounds like a lot to me. I aint for sure though.

typical2 · February 05, 2012, 07:03:00 AM

The stack is a copy of my HH Wesley Special. It is a 70"bow. I figured a 68" bow would come in higher but then being straight limbed would bring it down a couple few pounds. I will check my measurements. This will be a narrow limbed bow though. 1"at to 1 1/16".

Eric