Any tips for nice looking tips?

[wookiewebster]

I see that some on here have such nice, clean looking tip overlays and riser accents on their builds.  How do you do it?  If I just glue a stack of squares onto my tip, I can blend the edges and tips pretty well by careful filing and sanding, but the bottom (where it slants/fades into the limb) is very hard to do nicely and I always seem to be sanding down into the limb glass.  

 Can anyone share tips on how to make these look cleaner?  Do you pre-glue the layers and shape them before gluing to the limb?  Use templates? Special tools or techniques?

Thanks,
Wookie

[dmikeyj]

Pre-taper the overlay end that meets the limb, use tape at the seam where the overlay meets the limb for limb protection, and work slowly right near the tape edge.

For a stack of squares, glue them up first and again pre-taper the stack same way.

[Glunt]

I do it like dmikey says.  I have found that glass blends better into clear glass than phenolic and SmoothOn blends better than superglue.

[kennym]

I think they pretty much nailed it!!  

[GREG IN MALAD]

I dont pre-taper the overlay material. This tip overlay is a 1/16" white phenolic and a 1/8" black phenolic glued on with smooth-on. I shape them with a 3" sanding drum in a drill press, a dremel with a 1/2" sanding drum and 2 files. Tips were the hardest part for me to get right.
Here is a link to a bow I built a couple years ago, it touches lightly on how I shape tips.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=003843#000000
 

[Robertfishes]

Nice looking tip Greg, thanks for posting the link. . I have been pre tapering my pieces before gluing. I like to use layers of 030 glass and 1/16" phenolic, I usually use a thin piece of veneer for the top layer just to match the limb..this one has white glass and black phenolic.    

[jsweka]

I'm still trying to get mine right.  They're getting better, but still nothing like Greg's and Robert's.

[rmorris]

I do not taper mine but i do as much work as I can with a file perpendicular to the limb.I try to wrap a few layers of blue masking tape around the limb where I do not want to damage the glass. Once I start to take off tape I move over to sandpaper for finishing. Another great trick is when you start getting as far as you can get with a file stop and give it a quick brush with sandpaper to change the texture so when you go back to the file it will leave a new texture so you can tell where you are taking material off and make sure you are taking material off evenly. My last bit of advice is make sure your limb is clamped down or in a vice as close as you can to the the area you are working.

[wookiewebster]

Thanks for all the great ideas and pictures.  It sounds like there are several preferences and some really nice looking tips from this group.  I have work to do!

@Greg Hey, I grew up in the Idaho Falls area and have been thru Malad many times going.  Nice little place.

[GREG IN MALAD]

Stop by the next time you get to Malad, I'm always willing to talk bows.

[Glunt]

Greg:

Great build-along at your link.  I thought I had scoured every build off the web but had never seen that one.  It also inspires me to clean the garage!

[ALW]

Pre tapering them helps a bunch.  On selfbows sometimes the back is a bit uneven where I'm gluing the overlay on.  I will use several thin overlays glued on seperately so they can conform to any undulations on the back.  Even when doing this I taper the bottom couple of laminates.  It makes blending into the back of the bow so much easier and reduces the chance of cutting into the back of the bow.

Aaron

[Canadabowyer]

Greg, that is a great build-along. The jig for finish sanding the riser fades is awesome. I use something similar but yours is the bomb!! Bob

[dmikeyj]

Here are some tips just about ready to go, just need to flatten the bottom and even the feathered ends a bit:







I use a rotary drum rasp for the taper.

[MikeW]

Originally posted by GREG IN MALAD:
I dont pre-taper the overlay material. This tip overlay is a 1/16" white phenolic and a 1/8" black phenolic glued on with smooth-on. I shape them with a 3" sanding drum in a drill press, a dremel with a 1/2" sanding drum and 2 files. Tips were the hardest part for me to get right.
Here is a link to a bow I built a couple years ago, it touches lightly on how I shape tips.
  http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=003843#000000  
   

Greg,
That is a really sharp looking tip. Nice work!