hickory lam. bow /raised @ the handle

[Agbowyer]

Hickory heartwood seem to be a bit more brittle than the sapwood. I haven't used much heardwood  so this is what I have heard and not from experience.   Pat

This has been my experience as well, but I have heard other people say different. I tried making two bows with hickory heartwood, and both snapped. Never had a problem with hickory sapwood.

[Minuteman]

Thanks Ag, but its all sapwood. just havin a run of bad breaks lately. Learnin' to laminate isn't as easy as I thought.

[Agbowyer]

Chris you hang in there. Its been said a hundred times on here by guys who've been making bows a long time (like Pat's 200+ years) that if you aint breakin you aint makin. I've got a corner of shame just like Pappy and most others. Study the area that's a problem and see if there's not a nick or knot or swirl or something that caused it. Even if you don't find the problem, chalk it up to experience and start over. You'll be fine.... Chris

[Coo-wah-chobee]

        "damm, Pat's 200+ years"....then again if you saddle and ride "meglasaurus" ........bob

[Minuteman]

Ya'll leave Pat alone!
 He;s helped me out a bunch on this laminatin' business.

[Agbowyer]

Maybe that's the problem

[Minuteman]

HEY , wait a minute!
    PAT!!!
 

[Pat B]

Sheesh!!! I don't get no respect!    Pat(the sensitive one) d:^)

[Minuteman]

Yer alright in my book, Pat. The bow seems to have settled down some . Couldn't find any spots where it was lifting up and splinters or any thing soI'm gonna check it over good and put it back on the tree this evening. Scratch that I left it on the porch last night and it rained so its going back in the hot box for a while then I'll break it, uh I mean tiller it out the rest of the way.

[Dano]

I bet that little tick your hearing is coming from the handle at the fades, putting the power lam on the belly side doesn't do any good, and it may eventually pop off as the bow bends into the fades. I'd like to be an opptimist, but I've had my share of em pop off. Keep after it Chris, I know you got it in ya.

[Minuteman]

Doggone it Dano you are astounding lemme tell ya! My brother came over and I bent that bow a little floor tiller style and heard another tik. Looked it over and it had tossed up a splinter right at the fades.Looking at the time of your post ,you made the call before it happened.
 Dano the Psychic Bowyer!!
 Better than being the psychotic bowyer.
 Yeah I needed to do the handle section right and put the power lam under the backing but that was only part of the problem . I was trying out a real abrupt flare style that called for a quick transition from the handle to the full limb width and didn't leave enough wood depth in the handle to keep it from bending. I could feel the handle bending so I knew it was gonna pop off eventually.
  Thanks guys I'll keep after it and see what all I can learn.
 Chris

[Springbuck]

Chris
Just put a 1/8" thick lam between the backing and the core that extends to the end of the handle or just past

Exactly, a power lam.  But, just to specify, it needs to taper out to nothing out past the handle.   Doesn't take much.

The thing with dowels doesn't work a lot better than just gluing on the handle lams, IME.  I have had success with it on lighter weight bows, low 40's max, by angling the dowels through so they come out on the handle closer together than on the front.  It's not the best way, though.  A real fadeout, created by the power lam,or by starting with a belly lam at least 1/8" thicker than needed works.

Lastly, some are saying the thickness you have total there is not enough, but if you put reflex, recurves, or R/D in it, esp with Perry reflex, it will be.   I glue up most of my laminated bows with a 3/8" belly of something really good, and an 1/8" inch backing.

[bubby]

This post is from '07

[GB]

If only we could travel back in time and help him save his bow...

[Pat B]

When I saw this I was wondering if Chris(Minuteman) was back on. Last time I saw him was in the Parker Family Photo taken the first year I went to the Tenn. Classic. Boy, that was a lifetime ago!