Sorry, I missed replying to this.
The stairstep thing on the handle is not the exact same thing as a power lam. A power lam is a short lam that goes under the backing, or in this case, maybe between layers,not on the belly where the handle glues on. It is thickest in the middle and tapers to nothing, or at least paper thin, on each end, and is just 3-4 inches longer than the flares at the handle. On a multi-laminated bow, the powerlam IS the fadeout, or at least reinforces the fadeout. Usually there is a powerlam, and the handle fades out, too, so they help each other.
One way to make a power lam without a lot of tools that a have used is to glue up layers of that 1/16" veneer stairstep-style. Take, say a 14" long strip, an 11" strip, and an 8" strip, and glue them up in a stack, stairsteps on each end. When dry, glue some rough sandpaper to a flat board, and using the "slant" of the stairsteps as a guide, sand the steps down to a smooth taper by hand. I used to do this before I got any power tools, like a tablesaw and beltsander. Good for your arms.
