Trilam Q

[simk]

Hi

I'm on the trilam route for the first time and have a q:

Does it make any difference wheather I'm gleueing all 3 strips at once or if I do the glueup in two steps: first belly and midlam and then backing later?

I'm using a well curved caul for the glueeup.

Thanx for advice! 

cheers

[Pat B]

I believe there are advantages to gluing up one at a time with different degrees of reflex with each glue up. The disadvantage to gluing it all up together is keeping everything lined up and in place as you clamp it.

[bownarra]

Glue-up everything at once to begin with. Once you have some stack figures you can start experimenting. The simplest way to pre-stress or perry refelx is to glue your belly lams (spliced at handle) in deflex then 'force' it onto the form and into reflex.

[simk]

Thanks very much guys, that all makes sense and helps for decision making - I will glue everything at once. My caul is rigid and the lams are full length...once I will have to splice them I will play that trick.
 

[mmattockx]

My caul is rigid and the lams are full length...once I will have to splice them I will play that trick.

It doesn't matter if they are full length or not, you can always glue in deflex on the belly lams, then pull it into reflex on the form while gluing on the backing.


Mark

[simk]

thanx Mark,
sadly I will not be able to force a doubled lam into my caul   

[silent sniper]

Simk,
I have done it both ways. I have done many by gluing all at once. Lately I have been gluing up the core and then adding the backing. I feel that I potentially get better limb alignments when I do it in two steps, but If done correcting gluing all at once certainly works just fine. You will have have to try for yourself and see what works best for you.
Cheers,
Taylor

[bownarra]

My caul is rigid and the lams are full length...once I will have to splice them I will play that trick.

It doesn't matter if they are full length or not, you can always glue in deflex on the belly lams, then pull it into reflex on the form while gluing on the backing.


Mark

Unless you use thin lams you will be struggling You will also need some good pressure strips.

[simk]

thanks Taylor! very helpful information! doing all at once anyway seems more economic 
 

[Pat B]

If you do it all at once wrap masking tape around the bundle in a couple of places.It gets pretty slippery.  Something else I've done is to add an alignment pin at the handle area to hold the bundle together while you add the clamps. I drilled a 1/8" hole down through the center of the bundle at the handle into the riser and added a bamboo skewer or dowel as the pin. Do a dry run first. You can cut the pin flush after the glue dries.

[simk]

Yes PatB, it gets slippery - not easy to control that middle lam. I too was thinking about that pin idea...this really could work well  This time I just started clamping in the middle and continously aligned everything while clamping more towards the tips. Got acceptable accurracy and have enough wood for last little adjustments.

[Pat B]

One pin works well, 2 pins side by side, even better. 

[bownarra]

Just tape it down with parcel tape. A wrap every foot or so. You can use spring clamps on the sides of your lams to hold them still and in line intially. Then wrap the full thing in what we call clingfilm and I think you call it saran wrap Nothing moves after you get the tape on and the saranwrap stops glue getting on everything.
Once you get your method sorted it is easy enough.

[bownarra]

Clamping like you have done isn't ideal without using a pressure strip. Aluminium strips or thin stainless strips work well. You risk poor gluelines when using a few too few clamps. There is a lot going for using innertubes on these sort of glue-ups.

[simk]

you are probably right bownarra  I usually use the innertubing bad was too lazy this time to cut new rubber bands...just went with the clamps I had. glued two bows, not so bad, quite happy with the results. one limb shows little gaps on one side, but wont fail  will probably buy a few more of the liitle cheap clamps... clamps allow good control. rubber bands sometimes seem to tend to tighten somehow assymmetric if not applied very careful.