Pyramid or parallel?

[Calamitus]

I was wondering which design would be best for my board bow. I have red oak board, 1.5"x68" (actually 2 36" billets spliced), aiming for 50# @ 28". It will have the tips reflexed by the addition of glue-on overlays, ala 4est trekker's build posted elsewhere, and probably a silk backing for safety and looks. I want opinions on the safest of the two designs for this bow and also comparing the difficulty of tillering each design (if there is any difference). Thanks!

[k-hat]

with it only 1.5" wide, i'm thinking parallel will be better.  Red oak is better wide and thin vs. narrow and thick (pyramid is a hybrid of those in a way).  More width for most of the length imo will lead to less set.  Use every bit of that length you can, and i'm assuming stiff handled as opposed to bendy.  I think pyramid would be a better performer (for equal set), but you asked about safer so there ya go

[Calamitus]

Thanks K! That was my thought as well, just wanted a confirmation from some experts.

[k-hat]

Don't know about expert lol, still consider myself little more than an apprentice!  Get it profiled width and thickness, floor tiller and tiller to low brace, then give her a good deep heat treatment on the belly before you put on the backing.  I say that because at 1.5", she'll probly take more than desirable set and lose cast, so the heat treatment will raise the compression strength to offset that.  Get as much tiller done as possible before you heat so you don't end up removing the tempered wood during tiller.  And of course the heat would adversely affect the glue if you apply the backing first.  You may know all this but there ya go anyway

Take is slow and tiller carefully, and you'll have a nice shooter

[NTProf]

I have made dozens of bows from 1 1/2" wide redoak boards. Keep it parallel to mid limb or even a little past, then taper to nocks. At this this design has successful for me.

[adb]

Either design will work fine. You have to adjust your tiller shape for each accordingly. A pyramid shaped bow will need a circular tiller, while a more parallel shape will be best served with an elliptical tiller.