About Spilces And Narrow Handles

[arachnid]

Hi Guys.

Lots of questions lately... :embarassed:

I have 2 mulberry sister billets seasoning and I`m about to splice them together (a V or a Z splice).
Since I realy like narrow handles I`m a bit concerned about it. When I narrow the handle, doesn`t that
reduce the gluing surface? I`ve never spliced before and I don`t want to ruin these billets.... took me
quite a while to get them...

So, What do you say?

Dor

[steve b.]

That's always been my question about splicing after listening to debates about which technique is best--"But aren't you grinding away alot of the so called gluing surface when you finish the handle?".
I don't know; I've never spliced.  I've done a couple bows lately that I used a hunk of pipe for the handle and glued the billets in.  You just have to get creative to hide the pipe.

[Fred Arnold]

I haven't had any problems using the z splice. Just make sure you leave the handle to fade section deep enough. After you get the billets spliced together then start shaping. The first one I did I tried 1 1/4" width but found that I prefer 1"

I have some full billets already seasoning that have the  splice cut as soon as I finished chasing the top ring.

[PatM]

You are supposed to narrow the handle sections first and then make the cuts with closer angles. However even a spliced section made too wide and then narrowed won't sacrifice enough glue surface to worry about if your lines are good and strong glue is used.

[Dances with squirrels]

I have never narrowed the handle section first. I want everything full width for layout and alignment purposes. Never had one come apart either, my handles arent overly deep, and bows are usually 60 lbs or more. I use z splices.

Good mating of the pieces and good glue go a long ways toward success.

[Drewster]

I've made six or eight bows in the past year with "Z" spliced handles.  I agree with PatM, the key is a well cut joint and the proper glue.  I lay out my handles with the Z splice between 4" and 4 1/2" long depending on the length of handle I need.  The splice comes out fractionally shorter since you can't cut to the very end of the "V" due to the band saw blade kerf width.  I make the open end of the slice 5/8" and this layout has worked very well.

To help ensure I get a good joint, I cut the belly side of the handle area perfectly parallel with the back and square up one side and the end.  This helps keep the billet flat on the band saw table with NO wobble during the cut.  I also lay out the joint with a knife point, not a pencil, for better precision.  A sharp blade and a steady hand and you can cut a good joint.  A little clean up with a rasp and bench chisel and you're ready for the glue.

I found West System's G/flex epoxy from a boat building supplier and it has performed extremely well for these splices.  It has a small percentage of filler in the glue and does an excellent job where you don't have a perfect joint.......which will be the case with a Z splice at best.

With a 4" splice you will have 12" of glue line.......a lot of strength.  You will loose very little of the joint when you finish shaping the handle.  Here's a pic of one I did last week.

[Drewster]

I agree with Dances with squirrels, I never narrow my handle area first either.  I want all the wood there for layout accuracy and stability during the cut.

[Eric Krewson]

I have done at least 75 spliced handles and never had one come apart, I used Urac in the past and now Unibond. I make my handles 3 3/4 " long so the splice will hide under a 4" leather handle. I don't worry about narrowing a handle in the spliced area, my glues are bomb proof.

I almost always make bows with thin wood in the handle because I knock belly splits off staves to maximize the number of staves I get from a log. I like to have 1" of wood but have made handles with only 1/2" thick wood to salvage a stave.

Because of the thin wood I use, it is a rare bow that I don't glue wood to the back of a bow to build up the handle. This increases the overall splices surface area in the handle and makes it that much stronger.



You can see the glue line where I added wood to this bows handle.

[Roy]

I make BBO and tri lam bows. All glued together. I Z splice the Osage belly slat together, it's always about 1/2" thick. I make my handle 3/4" wide when all done, then like Eric said, I glue on a riser section and the back of the bow has the bamboo on. I have never had a handle come apart.

[steve b.]

All good stuff.  This is timely as I need to do a white oak splice right now.  Makes sense to me now.  Thanks all for the pics and explanations.

[Roy]