question about flatbow

[15yearold.archer]

here are some dimensions kegan gave me -Pyramid flatbow: 66" or so nock to nock, 2 1/2" wide from the ends of the fades for about 10", tapering straight to 3/8" nocks. Thickness should be about 7/16" over the entire limb, with the section under the handle left thicker to prevent it form popping off. Handle can be whatever you want, I like 1" wide, 4 1/2" long, about 1 1/2" thick, with 2 1/2' long fades. i really like the idea and want to pursue it but the problem is that the board i have is only a 1x2 and the instructions say i need 2 1/2' wide  fades , you can see my problem , can i still do this but instead of 2 1/2 make it 2" at the fades or will that throw off the 50-55 poundage i want, if so how else can i achieve a bow over 50 with a red oak board

[RyanY]

Is it one inch by two inches or 1x2 because if I'm not mistaken a 1x2 is actually 3/4"x1.5". With pyramid bows the tiller lets more work be done near the handle than a regular flatbow. By making the width shorter you increase the strain on a smaller amount of wood causing more set. More set near the handle creates substantial set overall. I'd say keep it 2" for a third of the limb and then taper from there.

[KenH]

Read it again!  The fades are 2-1/2" long not wide from the narrow end to the widest bit is 2.5".

[15yearold.archer]

aah your right my mistake, but yea its actualy is not 1x2 a bit small but can i use this piece to achieve what kegans dimensions said , and im not sure what that means 2 1/2 inch LONG fades whats the fade i thought it was just the few inches on top an below the handle and

[Pat B]

I never measure thickness of limbs. I remove wood until the limb bends the way it is supposed to at the weight I want. By reducing the width, the limbs will need to be a little thicker than before with everything else the same.
 A true pyramid bow will have a straight taper, width wise, from fade to tip. The elliptical tiller is achieved by the width taper exclusively. The limb thickness is uniform from fade to tip. When you move out from the fade before tapering to the tip you are overbuilding(adding durability) the bow. Wood type plays a role in this as some woods are stronger in tension than others and some are stronger in compression than others. Your bow design should consider these physical properties of the wood you are using.
  In your design you have a 4 1/2" handle and 2 1/2" fades. That is at least 9 1/2" of non working handle that could add to the working limb. The more working limb you have the more durability your bow will have because the stresses are spread over an even larger surface.
  Don't get discouraged with it! We have all been through what you are going through and many of us didn't have the luxury of the internet and there were very few books and fewer wood bowyers around to get tips from. You have at your fingertips the best wood bowyers from all over the world. Pictures really help us see what your problem or success might be. Keep asking questions. Get a tree ID book for your area and learn what the original people of your area used for bows and arrows. Before you know it you will be helping someone else to get started with this great craft!

...and the fades are where the flexible limb blends into the rigid handle. Lots of stress on that area because of the leverage of the limbs.

[15yearold.archer]

wow thanks alot the whole physics thing kinda really put it into perspective for me makes alot more sense now and as for pictures the kb memory from my camera to the computer is to large infacts its 800 kbs to big and im kinda a computer dumby

[elk country rp]

    You have at your fingertips the best wood bowyers from all over the world.

and a whole bunch of hacks like me, too!

there's never been a better time to learn how to make bows than right now.

[Kegan]

The thickness should actually be about 3/8" over the whole limb when you're done, it's just a starting place for tillering. I start off with rather specific dimensions, and then go form there, removing wood during tillering and adjusting mass placement. Also, the dimensions I gave are for a 1x3 board of red oak, not a 1x2. A 1x2 is too narrow.

Just have at it! Red oak boards are relatively cheap, and you can make two or three in a few weeks time. What can it hurt ?