Tri lam bow help!!

[StrykerX_X]

Hi im going to make my first all wood tri lam bow but need a little help. Im going to use red oak for the back cherry for the core and walnut for the belly. But i dont know how thick the lams should be, and should they tapper at all? I have only made a few self bows but really want to make this one so any help would be great.

[Pat B]

Stryker, how many bows have you made? Tri-lam bows are pretty but lots of thought need to go into building one. First of all you need to know the different qualities of different woods. Some are strong in tension. These make good backings. Some are strong in compression. These make good belly lams and some are so so in either and can make good core woods but that is not always the case for cores.
Red oak isn't necessarily a good back wood. It might work better if you use a stave of red oak and chase a ring before you cut out the backing strip but other woods would be a better choice. Black walnut isn't necessarily the best belly wood. Any of the three will make pretty good core woods though.
 There is a lot more to building a tri-lam than just stacking up lams. To get good at building them be prepared to do lots of experimentation with different woods and bow designs and be prepared to accept failure as part of the learning process.

[DEATHMASTER]

Pat put it perfect.

[hova]

as he so often does!

-hov

[okie64]

Stryker, Pat said it perfectly. If I were you i'd get some hickory for the back and use your cherry, walnut or red oak for the core. I'd try to find some osage or one of the tropicals for belly wood. Like Pat said though you should probably experiment with a few of them and try out some different woods. My first trilam was a hickory backed hickory with a cherry core and it shoots great. After that I broke 3 of em before I got another shooter.