laminations

[islandwoodwerker]

I'm new to bow construction but very interested in making one. (utube got me) My question is can a suitable flatbow be made from laminated maple and Koa? My idea is to have maple at the limbs and Koa at the handle. MY intended plan is to laminate maple on maple for two seperate limbs than splice those limbs into a koa handle. Or this isnt suitable and it should be one continuos piece with the koa added on later. Or my hair brained idea  just wont work. If its possible how thick are the laminations before shaping is done?

[Hillbilly]

I moved this from the Message Board Q&A, you should get more views and responses here.

[islandpiper]

Old adage:  THERE IS NO GLUE LIKE GOD'S GLUE     meaning, why make two separate limbs?  Make full length maple limbs, nock to nock, if at all possible.  Why ASK to have the upper limb smack you in the head?  If you are going to laminate on a handle section over a splice would it be better to put some of it on the back, in tension, rather than all on the belly, in compression? 

Best advice:  if you are just beginning, then make plain and simple bows.  Get a few done, shoot them.  Then, proceed with more complex designs, multi layer and sectioned bows.  Walk before you run. 

Gray hair advice..........piper

[radius]

hey, this guy's a wood worker...let him at it!

but yeah, make the whole bow.  With separate limbs you get different forces...the lower limb receives more stress.  So if  you tiller them the same, you'll be disappointed.  Also, if you tiller them out and then join the whole thing with a backing strip of VG maple or hickory, you'll have to tiller all over again...

[islandwoodwerker]

Thanks for the responces. walking before running is sound. Solid bow first laminated ones for later. The reason i mentioned maple and koa is because I have a "lot" of it lying around and thought it would make for an eye catching bow.......not practical.

[radius]

if you look around, you'll see plenty of laminate "first bows" made by talented guys trying their hand at a new thing.

With laminated bows, most of the work is done BEFORE glue up...but with power tools...

With self bows, there is no glue up, so you can expect a lot of scraping, amigo, by hand!


have fun!

radius

[islandwoodwerker]

Actually I'm more inclined to work with hand tools. Carving is my main thing. Thanks again