limb width taper

[yazoo]

how fast or slow does everyone taper the width of there bows,,I try to go full width till midlimb then 1/4 in every 6in to maybe a 5\8in tip,

[Pat B]

Mike, I've done them with a straight taper from fade to tip all the way to parallel limbs to the last 6" before tapering. All worked well but generally I will go out 4" to 6" then begin the taper to the tips.

[Justin Snyder]

I go direct taper from fades to tips fairly often. When I do go parallel limbs, I go about 2/3 of the limb then taper to 1/2" at the tips. If it is a 27" limb I go 18" then taper the last 9".  After I glue on the tip overlays I narrow the tips to 3/8".

[Canoe]

Howdy Group,

What material types, (Osage, white woods...) are you (Yazoo, Pat, and Justin) talking about?  Which woods are good for straight taper, and which ones are good to keep limbs parallel?  And, what widths do you like to start with for these different woods?   (In 500 words or less )

And, Justin, I like that tip you gave about gluing the tip overlays on before final tapering near the tips.  At what point, in tillering, do you actually narrow the ends to 3/8"?

Thanks,
Canoe

[adb]

I usually go half limb parallel (or less), and then taper to 1/2" tips.

[radius]

alot of the strength comes from the first 8 inches of meat or so, outside of the fades.    For a stronger bow, taper later than sooner...

radius

[bigcountry]

So far I have done one bow with straight 10" and then taper to tips.  And made on pyamid that tapers from the fades.  I myself have enjoyed the one I tapered from the fades.   Seemed easier to tiller for some reason.  Basically the limb thickness is uniform throughout from the fades to the tip. 

[radius]

sounds like you've got it covered...

how's it goin, there, adb?

[adb]

Good, Scott! How are you? Haven't heard from you in a while.

[Justin Snyder]

Canoe, I narrow them right after I glue the tips on.  Sometimes I do it right after floor tiller, sometimes I long string tiller first.  It depends a lot on how much time I have. If I have time to tiller it I do it. If it is late or I don't have time to work on the bow I glue the overlays so the glue will be dry when I do have time.  Its all about making the most of my time.  Justin

[Pat B]

You can use the different bow styles with almost any wood if your length and width is appropriate for he wood used.
  I usually don't finish or narrow tips until the tillering is completed. You may need to make adjustments and with a little extra width at the tips you can move the tip to one side or the other as needed. Same with the handle.

[Justin Snyder]

You are right Pat, it is best to leave the tips a little wide until after final tiller.  I usually narrow to 3/8 before then narrow a little more after I am done. It also depends on the bow.  With a straight stave or laminated bow (most of mine are laminated) I don't worry about that because I lay a straight line down the center and use it for layout.  I have never had one that was off enough to matter when it was finished. With a character stave I like to leave the tips closer to 5/8 until I'm done so I can adjust a little.  I do wait to see which limb will be the top and which will be the bottom.  If the string tracks just barely to the side, then that side will be the side the arrow passes on. It just makes it a little closer to center shot. 

[Pat B]

Another reason I like to lay a bow out symmetrically is I can decide later which limb will be the top. Lots of things can change as you tiller and I like to cover all bases before I make final decisions.
  Leaving the handle area full width can be helpful if the center of your bow effects the string track. It is a lot easier to remove wood from the strong side than it is to heat and bend a handle so allow the string to track properly.

[shamus]

I go for a gradual taper on most bows, but sometimes the wood will need a different approach.

more here: http://analogperiphery.blogspot.com/2008/05/osage-flat-bow-dimensions.html

[Marc St Louis]

I always width taper my bows.  Sometimes the taper is slight for the first few inches and other times it's a straight taper from fades to tips, I also do everything in between