Main Discussion Area > Bows
Limb Thickness - Rules of Thumb
Eric Krewson:
I have never complicated bow making with the mechanical aspects, I could care less, I make bows that shoot poundage plus 100fps with 10gr per pound. The third bow from the bottom is 52#@26", it shoots 170fps with a 500-gr arrow drawn to 26", that is my best. The rest shoot poundage plus 100 or perhaps 10fps more if I am lucky and I only have a draw length of 26" on a good day. My bows in other people's hands have won over a dozen national championships so I guess I have done something right.
Back in the day I was a pretty good shot and knew when a bow was acting right or needed a little more tillering work or limb balancing, a sense of feel kind of thing, worked for me.
Eric Krewson:
You can't build a bow by replicating my measurements exactly, too many variables, poundage, wood type, width, tillering and so forth.
One more post and I am gone.
The bow in the profile pictures thicknesses at the same points I posted belly pictures of.
Fade 5/8", 7 " out 11/16", mid limb 9/16", a foot from the tip 9/16", 6 inches for the tip 1/2" and the tip 1/2".
The limb width is 1 1/4" to mid-limb tapering to 1/2" nocks starting 1 foot from the fade. The bow poundage is 48#@25", 51#@26", flawless osage with a clean back, no knots or pins. The bow is 64" long with an asymmetrical 1" shorter lower limb because I like them that way for no particular reason except for the drawn profile makes the bow look like the limbs are equal length not lopsided.
It is not my latest bow like I thought, when i looked at the specs I found it was made 15 years ago.
Got it?
Doug509:
With regards to limb width not thickness. Would it be a design flaw to start tapering 1.25" limb width immediately at the fade vs starting the taper at mid limb to tip? Visually creating a distal taper from fade to tip before tillering and reducing thickness.
Thanks to Eric for sharing such great detail.
Jim Davis:
Certainly not. That's the design that is often called a pyramid bow. That's the only kind I make anymore. Easiest to tiller by far--one thickness, straight taper.
Eric Krewson:
Jim is a pyramid bow expert and knows his stuff.
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