Fades

[DC]

When a fade is 2 1/2" does that mean that you are right down to limb thickness at 2 1/2" or is there still a bit of slow blending? You know a bit of feathering out.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Always slow bending and/or gradual lines on every part of the limb, never abrupt.

A little tip for even, good looking fades: Work your rasp down the fade towards the limb rather than up the fade towards the grip. You'll get smoother fades and the early growth and late growth will blend together rather than feel like a cheese grater.

[Badger]

  I think fades is a loose term to some degree. I think of fades as the transition to the handle where I can visibly see a sharp increase in the thickness. I usually make about a 2 to 2 1/2" fades, I also go out about 2" past that where I have a taper rate greater than the rest of the limb but it is not so visible. Usually a bow is flexing a bit in the fade area but hard to detect a real bend.

[DC]

Thanks guys. I was on the right track, I just wanted to make sure. Everything should blend smoothly into everything else. Now if I want to make a bow "bend a little more in the fades" do I move the fades into the handle a bit or do I make the fades slope a little  more.

[Pat B]

The fades are the transition between the static handle an the working limb.

[Tree_Ninja]

  I was confused about fades as well.  The fades on the Strunk oceans-pray bow Carson has, and the replica Bryce made seems to have abrupt/steep fades. 

[George Tsoukalas]

You don't have to let the fades bend but you can. That can be a difficult tiller in the beginning.
Concentrate on letting the bend start right at the end of the fades.
Jawge