Why tri-lams?

[Pat B]

I'm just curious, why are tri-lams the talk of the town these days. Why not just backed or 4 lams or 5 lams? Except for ease of manipulation or color contrast I was wondering why everyone wants to build tri-lams.

[Roy from Pa]

I like them because using two thinner lams, the 1/4" belly and 1/4" core, the bow takes on a nicer, sexier deflex/reflex shape as the lams bend easier when placed in the form. A BBO bow has a 1/2" thick belly lam and it's harder to bend than the two thinner core and belly lams. The choice of core lam material does give options for color variations which is cool. Core material choice can enhance performance also. Or maybe it makes us wood guys feel like we are building a glass bow, using so many pieces..          LOL

Don't know what else to tell you, Pat. I built one 2 years ago and really liked the shape and  the way it shot, and now that's all I make.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I don't want to build one Pat...  

[Roy from Pa]

No but ya had me build you one to finish yourself. Darn shame the USPS broke it..  

[PEARL DRUMS]

That still ticks me off. Took a lot of force to shear a non floor tillered tri lam limb.

[Bowjunkie]

These days? I dont know about that, Ive been making them for quite some time. It's not about color for me. Most of mine have been bamboo/osage/osage... or bamboo/yew/yew with matching handle wood. I don't like them to look too busy.

Three lams is just a really good balance... With three lams, they're thin enough to bend into a wide variety of profiles... yet with three lams, the belly lam is thick enough that tillering and/or weight reduction can be done without it getting so thin that it compromises its ability to resist compression resistance, or so thin that we'll scrape through into the glue line.... harder to do/avoid with 4 or 5 lams. That said, part of the beauty of trilams and such is that we CAN, potentially, bring them to exacting thickness and tapers and get very close to good tiller and target weight right off the form... predictability... reaping a few of the multilam build benefits without the glass.

I still make as many 'bi-lams' or backed bows as tri-lams... and more selfbows than all others combined, but I really enjoy the trilam builds for some reason. They're some of the best looking and best shooting bows I've made.

As far as this site, it could be that it's just something new to many of the folks here, and Roy's been posting a few tri-lam builds.... monkey see, monkey do perhaps?

[Pat B]

I've built all of the above but still come back to either selfbows or backed bows. I don't build R/D bows(and rarely build backed bows) so no need for all the glue-up for me.

[takefive]

My favorite thing about them is that they are so quiet, sometimes eerily quiet.  Guess it's the silence of the lams.    

[Bowjunkie]

LOL. Well played.

[fujimo]

   

[mikkekeswick]

That's a beauty!!!!
I almost sprayed tea everywhere!!!
Very good!!!!

[Buemaker]

I'm taking off my mask to you Sir.    

[John Scifres]

I always assumed it was some sort of a fraternity.

[LittleBen]

Snapped a piece of ipe trying to reflex it for a BBI glue up ... Only needed to do that once to be sick of it. That was basically it for me.

[Roy from Pa]

I haven't seen a selfbow yet that could shoot as fast and accurate as a tri lam of the same poundage. I could throw a spear faster than most selfbows shoot.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Yah, and I haven't found a tri lam that shoots as fast and accurate as a glass sandwich. What's your point old fart?

[Roy from Pa]

   

[LittleBen]

Haha way to stir the pot Roy! Be careful those selfbow guys get real defensive about their little toy bows.

[PEARL DRUMS]

It would be a lot easier on you two glue boys if you just quit fighting it and build glass sandwiches instead of trying to glue 6 pieces of wood together to get the same results!  

[Roy from Pa]

Ok Mr. ERC selfbow man.. LOL