Trad Gang

Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Bvas on June 27, 2019, 09:50:05 PM

Title: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Bvas on June 27, 2019, 09:50:05 PM
My first few R/D bows I did 1/2” at the string grooves. Then I moved my 1/2” mark to 1” in front of the grooves for a slightly narrower limb.

So now I am contimplating dropping to 3/8” at the string groove, but doing away with grooves on the side. I laid it out on the limb, and man they look narrow. I know it’s less than an 1/8” narrower than what I’ve been doing, but man they look narrow.

Anybody else doing really narrow tips?
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Pat B on June 27, 2019, 10:04:16 PM
Glass or wood? 
 For wood bows, 3/8" to 1/2" thick can handle a very narrow width.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Bvas on June 27, 2019, 10:27:50 PM
Pat, it’s glass. Once I add overlays and cut string groove, I should have about  5/16” thickness under the string.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Pat B on June 27, 2019, 11:19:07 PM
Tip wedges would help with the next one. I don't build glass bows so I don't know for sure but with overlays to protect the glass I'd think the glass lam combo would be strong enough to carry narrower tips.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Mad Max on June 27, 2019, 11:44:34 PM
"Bow wood is 8 times stronger in thickness compared to width. According to the Bowyers Bible ."
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Roy from Pa on June 28, 2019, 05:16:59 AM
I do 1/2" wide on my trilams.
I know a guy who went down to 1/4" wide on osage selfbows.
That was scary to me but he never had one break.
You know him, Pat.
His name was Chris and he helped out at Twin Oaks.
Tall thin dude and he always posted on the pa site.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Forwardhandle on June 28, 2019, 09:40:41 AM
Brad I usualy do my knocks 1/2-3/8 but on the last 64 D/R I did I took them just a hair below 3/8 no issues but I do them slow & restring often to check stability the interesting note on glass bows I have done is that I really didint get a difference on the chrono between 1/2-3/8 I actually lost fps on one D/R that didnt have a PL in the mix ,Im guessing it flexed more & changed the string angle but I have got better gains by narrowing the front view versus just the tips , just sharing my experiences if it helps ! Also 90% of my bows have carbon in the mix so I dont know how that plays in.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Pat B on June 28, 2019, 11:14:53 AM
Roy, I can't think who he is right off hand. My oldtimers disease is kicking in.  :bigsmyl:
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Roy from Pa on June 28, 2019, 11:30:05 AM
Few years ago he is the guy who made 4 or 5 bows in a week and posted it on the other site.

He seems to have vanished as of the past year or 2.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Pat B on June 28, 2019, 12:40:54 PM
"Pearldrums"?
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Crooked Stic on June 28, 2019, 12:43:34 PM
Mine usaly no smaller than .500 before grooves as of late on the new design having .004 taper about 5/8s before grooves.

Sent from my LM-X410.F using Tapatalk

Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: monterey on June 28, 2019, 01:39:22 PM
Mine are usually 3/8" on ASL and RD. 

I'm going down to 1/4" on my next ASL and RD.  When they get that narrow I use a thicker overlay with a deeper groove across the top and reduced depth of the grooves on the sides.

Quote
the interesting note on glass bows I have done is that I really didint get a difference on the chrono between 1/2-3/8

I think you are on the money with the thoughts on getting more speed by reducing limb width and mass overall than by narrowing limb tips alone.

I did an experiment with weight added to limb tips on an ASL. The weights on each tip got to over 500 grains and the reduction in arrow speed was not very much.   If I can find those results, I'll post them.

Here's some pictures of 3/8" tips on an ASL and an RD.
This is the RD
 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

This is the ASL
 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Mad Max on June 28, 2019, 02:00:27 PM
Yea, I started making the whole bow narrower (1-3/8 / 1-5/16) wide at the fades and narrow at the nocks, no string groove on the sides, kind of  V shaped cross section.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Mad Max on June 28, 2019, 02:44:10 PM
A few years back I was surfing the net for fastest R/D glass bow .
This one had a tip wedge about 12" long and the nocks were 3/16" wide, and it said the last 12" was scary narrow.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Bvas on June 28, 2019, 02:58:13 PM
Yea, I started making the whole bow narrower (1-3/8 / 1-5/16) wide at the fades and narrow at the nocks, no string groove on the sides, kind of  V shaped cross section.

Mark, Thats exactly how I was thinking. Kinda like an upside down rain drop in the area the string will travel.

How narrow are you going at the nocks?
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Mad Max on June 28, 2019, 03:14:40 PM
Almost always less than 1/2"
some selfbows 1/4" , string grove on the top (back)
some glass bows  3/8 to 1/4
check this one out I made
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=53621.0
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Mad Max on June 28, 2019, 03:18:19 PM
My static Recurves need to be 1/2" at least because of the high reflex.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Wolftrail on June 28, 2019, 04:46:56 PM
Wood bows I'm going  3/8 or less on the string groove and top back 7/16 if possible.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Forwardhandle on June 28, 2019, 04:58:10 PM
I like those knocks & tips Monty kinda a elongated pin knock , sweet looking I mesured one of my D/R glass bows its 3/8 at the knock & 3/16 on the string post I leave my tips above the knock a little wide for my stringer , self bows I go usauly 1/8 pin knocks never had a issue !

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Wolftrail on June 28, 2019, 05:15:04 PM
1/8 pin knocks on selfies whoa that's dangerous territory for this guy.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Forwardhandle on June 28, 2019, 05:33:58 PM
Osage will take it I use FF plus with no overlay on that bow 2k plus arrows I thought the same as you but a guy that's made more bows then I ever will told me it is no problem he was right ! I made a couple hickory ones at 1/8 also they look scary but no issues !
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Srlbenn on June 29, 2019, 02:47:44 AM
"Pearldrums"?

I think he's talking about Blackhawk.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Mad Max on July 01, 2019, 02:59:36 PM
I did this test back in 2014

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=154072.msg2664549#msg2664549
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Shredd on July 01, 2019, 08:24:36 PM
Hey Max...  Been a while...  How did that truck turn out??   What is the tightest radius do you use with .030" glass near your tips??  And what about .040" glass also??  I have been thinking about designing a new bow with a tight radius near the tips...
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Mad Max on July 01, 2019, 08:38:05 PM
(.030 )2" radius on the back, but my stack was always around .250.
hard to get the gaps closed. At first my hook was coming around 70/80 degrees. I would go with 3" or more
The truck is a long project, maybe next spring.
Title: Re: How narrow are your tips
Post by: Shredd on July 02, 2019, 11:34:32 AM
  Wow...  Thats small...  I was thinking around 4-5"  Radius...  Thanks...