Take down sleeve build along.

[Pappy]

I was ask on the bow thread to do a build along on putting on take down sleeves. I had a couple
of good candadates so decided to do it now. First you need a set of billets or 2 broken bows.I always do broken bow but either will work. If you are doing billets you need to lay out the limb and handle
area just as if you were going to splice.If you are using broken bows just cut them off in the handle.I always start by cutting them about the end of the handle before the fad on the bad limb.Then measure where I want the sleeve to end mark and cut.I usually set the end of the sleeve about
where the arrow pass would normally be. Then once it is cut to length I put the sleeve on the cut end and make it to the inside of the sleeve to get the size I want the handle cut down to. Then file and scrape it down to fit the sleeve.You want it to fit tight ,but be sure that it will go all the way on before you start the next part.I never put it all the way on ,instead just start it and you can usually tell if it will go all the way up with a little help. I will tell you and this is very important be gentle with the brass sleeves when putting them in a vice or tapping on them.The fit is very close into the steel  Sleeve and if you warp them you will spend lots of time trying to get them to fit once they are glued togeather. Gentle is the word.
   Pappy

[attachment deleted by admin]

[cracker]

Hi Pappy is that sleeve really tight or is that just a light tap?

[Pappy]

First you clean the sleeve with some good cleaner that will leave no residue.Then once you are sure the brass will fit up flush you mix the glue.One warning if you are using 5 minute epoxies make sure all is ready to go before you mix.Check everything twice before mixing because once you start mixing you have to go and I mean go quick. I rap paper tape where I want the sleeve to stop to help keep the glue off and also as a guide.You don't really need the guide because you are going to bottom the sleeve out anyway. Cracker
it is a light fit.You want it pretty snug but you must be sure it will tap all the way up.If you put the sleeve all the way on to start with you will have a lot of trouble getting it back off to glue and like I said before you have to be gentle with them .
   Pappy

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Pappy]

Once the brass is on one limb then you glue the steel sleeve to the brass.Be sure and clean good before gluing.This is the easy part just put the glue on the brass and slide the steel sleeve up on it.
You want to be careful not to get the glue inside the steel sleeve where the other brass will go.
While that is setting up you can go on to the other limb to install the brass sleeve. When you slide the steel over the brass just be sure to put it all the way down flush to the fad end of the brass sleeve. You will see when you get your sleeves that the 2 pieces of brass just fit flush inside the steel sleeve.One other thing I do is mark the sleeve the way it is put togeather when I get it.It seems to slide togeather better if I keep them the way they came.Sometimes if you flip them around they don't seem to fit as good so I just mark them with a marker and try to keep up with it.
   Pappy

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Pappy]

One thing to be sure and watch on the second sleeve is to keep the same angle left/right and up and down as you did on the first piece.The limb I was working with had a bad hook in the handle so
on this one I had to add a shim to one side so I could move the sleeve over.If you are working with billets this shouldn't be a problem ,but if you are working with broken bows you have limited wood
in the handle to work with so be sure to check everything twice or 3 times before taking any wood off. You can see from the picture if I had glued the sleeve right on without checking It string alignment would have been 3 inches off the handle.You can put the 2 togeather and just kind of eyeball it and see if it is close.Most of the time it is this one was kind of odd.
   Pappy

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Pappy]

Then it is just a matter of making sure it will go on with a little tapping .I always use a rubber or wood hammer with a block to tap on the sleeves,Like I said before and can't stress enough is to be easy.
Once they are glued up you don't have to be easy with them but before they are very easy to warp . I usuall use epoxy but on the second limb I used Resoursanal [not sure on the spelling but yall know whwt I mean]  so I would have a little more time to make any adjustments because of the way the handle was.After using it I may use it all the time,I didn't have to rush like you do with epoxy. One thing I like is it gives the bow a little more weight,Some folks don't like that but I seem
to have a little more control with a little more weight.Thats about it.Once you let everything dry
slip it togeather and tiller if you were using billets just like you would if you had spliced it.If you were using broken bow check the limbs and adjust the diminution's to the smaller limb,floor tiller and tiller
just like you would on a bow that you have already had on the tillering board.Most of the time if the broken bows were close to the same and well tillered before it don't take long to get it shooting.
One more thing if you do warp the sleeves or they don't slide togeather easy ,take some emery cloth [fine] and work the down a little till they slide easy.Don't take to much because you want them to fit tight but you also want to be able to take it up and down without having to put it in a vice or get someone to hold on end.Hope this helps.
     Pappy

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Pappy]

I forgot to mention I get the sleeves from Mike Yancey ,They are about $40.00 and come in 2 sizes.
I uses the small and is still a little larger than I usually make my handle.Never used the large but if you have a big hand and enough wood to work with you may want to think about the large one.On most of mine they are broken bows so I don't have the wood without adding some so I always go with the small.
   Pappy

[Timo]

Nicely done Pappy. Pics look good and clear.

[Pappy]

Thanks Tim,it really ant that much to it if you just take your time and be sure everything fits and are going to line up before you glue ,and be easy with the sleeves.I once glued the brass sleeve on before cutting the handle down to size witch was going to leave with about an 8 inch handle.I had to heat the epoxy till the sleeve turned colors to get it back off.Well it took a lot of fitting with emery cloth to get it where it would slide togeather again so I learned the hard way.Make SURE all will be like you want it before you glue.
   Pappy

[cracker]

Thanks Pappy you da man. I bought a sleeve kit awhile back and been puttin it off till I had more info. Ronnie

[Dano]

Yep, you da man Pappy!!

[ricktrojanowski]

Thanks for sharing Pappy,  I'm planning on a takedown for one of my next bows.  This info will help a whole bunch.

[bigcountry]

Pappy, thanks a bunch for the build.  I am getting ready to made a broken limb to a billet yew bow. 

I was wonderin if thier is any advantage to only gluing on one brass insert, and leaving the other as an extra, then gluing on the metal sleeve directly to the other limb? 

[Pappy]

Probably be OK either way.I always use both sleeves then glue the brass to the steel on the top limb.It will give you a little shelf.Just be sure to get the steel and brass flush at the top when you glue it up. I leave the bottom when it will slide apart.By doing this It don't mess with the shelf or arrow pass area when you take it apart. Good luck.I love mine.It gives them a little more weight and seem to shoot really nice and stable. I have made 4 like that and they all shot nice.
   Pappy

[natty]

NICE!! i always wondered how to do it