Author Topic: Bend in handle bows?  (Read 2511 times)

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Offline DLH

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Bend in handle bows?
« on: June 17, 2011, 10:24:35 pm »
How does the belly taper go on these bows? Does it still depend on the front profile?

Offline Pat B

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Re: Bend in handle bows?
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2011, 01:19:37 am »
The bend of a bow generally follows the profile. I'm sure there are exceptions. As far as limb taper goes I remove wood until I get limbs that bend evenly and together and at the draw weight I'm shooting for. With self bows I never measure the thickness. That comes with good tiller.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Bend in handle bows?
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2011, 01:23:40 am »
Yes, belly taper. When the wood does not respond to belly tapering that tells you the design is too wide so begin to narrow the bow to bring the tiller home. I didn't mention on your other thread, DLH, that BL does well as a bend in the handle bow. Limit the bending in the handle so it doesn't loosen your fillings. :) Jawge
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If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Pat B

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Re: Bend in handle bows?
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2011, 01:32:02 am »
When I build bendy handle bows I like to feel the handle give a bit when I hit full draw. I usually save that fine tuning until the very end.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Bend in handle bows?
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2011, 11:00:51 am »
Ditto what Pat said, just a touch of "give" at full draw. Smooth as butta'!
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Kegan

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Re: Bend in handle bows?
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2011, 05:37:46 pm »
On bows with only slight width tapering, or ones where the taper is limited to just the outer third of the limb for example, taper the thickness to about half at the tips. So if I start at 3/4" thick for the handle, I taper to 3/8" nocks, and limit my side tapering. Gives a nice smooth bend at that point. For skinny tips, I make a point to reflex the outer limbs/flip the tips to get them acting a little stiffer. However, on shorties I generally don't go so extreme as on bows around 64+"