Let's Build a Trilam! (Finished pics on page 12... Refinished pics on page 13)

[PatM]

Any reason to not just glue your bends in?  Seems you are introducing variable and increased potential stiffness by heating  things.

[jeffp51]

since the tips are supposed to be mostly stiff anyway, I don't think the extra heat is the biggest problem.  If you rewarm it, get the very end firmly secured so that the curve is even through the whole arc--not all focused in one spot as it is now.

Good luck and heat slowly.

[bubby]

Smooth on is a good choice as it will give plenty of work time. Be sure to tape the back of the boo

[ty_in_ND]

Update!!

I have the bamboo ready to go.  I taper the thickness by sanding the bamboo until it forms a nice edge.  This is after I've gotten the width taken care of.  I read on a few posts here that by doing it this way, you get a nice thickness taper and after doing it a few times and double checking with the calipers, I can say this method does work beautifully.



I've also roughed out the walnut.  Since I haven't had any luck tapering the thickness using a jig, here's how I do it: I divide each working limb into 4 sections.  At each section, I mark both sides of the lam how thick I want it.  In this case, the 1st section is left at 3/16" (this is where the fade ends), then I mark 5/32", 1/8", 3/32", and finally the tip at 1/16".



I take it to my spindle sander and sand about 90% of the material off.  I finish the rest of it with the hand plane (which is where I'm at now).

So, that leaves me with the osage tips to address.  I am going to try to make them more rounded, but I forgot the heat gun at home!  I'll head there during my lunch break, get the gun, and get the tips looking nicer.

[ty_in_ND]

PatM: If I can get the osage to bend more evenly, I'll forgo the heating of the other bits (most likely it would just be the walnut, the bamboo could probably be glued to a really radical bend right now without any pre-heating right now).

bubby: I've used painters tape to back the bamboo for the last 2 bows (I used smooth on for them, too).  I was contemplating not using the tape this time around, but since you mentioned it, I will most definitely use it again!!

[ty_in_ND]

Here's a picture of the osage in the form. I tweeked it a bit by make the curve wider. I also used some better clamps to hold her down and an aluminum strip to help even the pressure on the lam.

[jeffp51]

That looks better than before.  Getting the end clamped will help, as well as the support strap

[ty_in_ND]

Here's how the tip looks off the press:



I plan on getting everything set up to take pictures of the dry run this evening.  I want to make sure I've got it on the form right before gluing it together.  For an idea, here's how the 1st trilam I worked on was glued up:



I'll start from this point (as that bow was going really well), but I would be game for moving those middle posts closer to the tips a bit.

[DC]

I think we touched lightly on this before but could someone explain the pro's and con's of moving those red clamps in or out.

[bubby]

I put the middle posts mid limb. I tried closer to the handle and they look funky, do a member search for Roy and around pg 10 in his postshe has a tri lam build, that's all ol Roy builds and he builds nice ones so i took his advice

[PEARL DRUMS]

I like it Ty.

[ty_in_ND]

Bubby, that's who I've been looking at for these bows!  Hopefully I'll be able to post the finished product on the TG website and get a "it's okay" from him. 

As far as the placement for the midposts, (I think...) Roy said closer to the handle is good for a target bow (faster arrow but more jumpy in the hand) and closer to the tips is good for a hunting bow (smoother, quieter shoot).  I know he said specifically in one of his posts over the years, but I'm having troubles finding the specific post.

[Badger]

 Not too bad where it is at but I would move mine closer to the tip. I feel whatever design you are after should be represented in the braced profile. If the bend is too close to the center you might end up tillering it out and have a D bow profile on the braced bow. You will loose the advantage of low string angles in the outer limbs which really boosts the power and tames down the bow. Tillering is also much easier with the clamp moved further out.

[Knoll]

Am getting alot of helpful information from this thread. Thanks for taking time
Question . . . purpose of clamps at ends of handle area is to limit/prevent flexing in this area?

[DC]

Maybe to anchor the rubber strap?