Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on September 01, 2015, 03:16:55 pm
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Up to now I've always tapered my bows evenly from the fades to the tips(pyramid I think). I've seen a few builds where the sides are parallel until some distance from the tip. When would I use one over the other and why? Also if I decide to go with the parallel sides how do I decide when to start narrowing?
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Dc. I think parallel limbs represent an over built design leaning more towards durability>performance. I think this is something I would use on less than optimal bow wood, or maybe on a bow you were going to try to get more poundage out of. I'm sure others will have great and varied input.
Ty
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I usually do a bow that is 1 5/8 in wide until 10-12 in from the tips. I see no real performance difference from this compared to pyramid bows. Sometimes I might do eastern woodland bows but this is the norm for me. I think that a well executed AFB or eastern woodland bow will shoot just as well as any pyramid bow.
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in the bows I've made the pyramids seem a little faster than a AFB but it's all just conjecture unless you have a crony
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As far as I know, a correctly tillered bow of either style should shoot pretty similar. On some of my narrow parallel limb bows I aim for a more circular tiller
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You may find that if limbs are too wide , too far out the limb that the limb will get too thin when tillered. This can create torsional instability in the limb and lead to twist. If you think of the cross-section, a square is less likely to twist than a wide thin rectangle.
Ken
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I'm getting the impression that this is a choice of style rather than function and that evenly tapered is the functional way to go.
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Yes DC me too. I like osage ! I build a1-5/16-1-3/8 at fade mid limbish 1-1/4 to 1-1/8 tips narrow and lite as possible . One inch limb for every inch of draw . Some times the stave tells me what I can get.
Arvin
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It is personal preference as far as what works best for each person. There are also design considerations as far as the wood used, whether it is tension strong or compression strong, the bow length, shooters draw length and draw weight.
I think some folks choose to build a pyramid style bow because they think just tapering the sides would be easier when actually tillering is tillering, no matter what style bow you are building.
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For what it's worth, when I've made bows with limbs parallel out to mid-limb or so, they seem to take less string follow... Maybe it's just me?
Also, it seems that the parallel limbed bows are more accurate and consistent, but just a tad slower. Once again, maybe that's just me, and I readily admit that I'm wierd.
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When a pyramid is bending right, it wont take anymore set than a parallel bow.
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Are we using the term "pyramid bow" correctly? I think some folks think if a bow has a single, straight width taper, that alone is enough to deem it a pyramid bow?
What I had come to believe however is that a pyramid design has a single, straight width taper, but it's also wide enough to accomplish all of its total tapering in width.... with vitually none needing done in thickness. Yes/no?
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That's my spin Jeff. I feel if a pyramid is taking more set it is because it is tillered into an oval, like a parallel limbed bow would be. Obviously that causes the inners to work overtime = set.
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Jeff, is correct. Pyramids are tillered from the width.
I start off with parallel limbs which taper to the nocks at just past mid limb.
Invariably, I begin to narrow the width to bring the tiller in as sometimes the limbs get too thinto suit me.
In other words, I feel strongly both ways. :)
Jawge.
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Are we using the term "pyramid bow" correctly? I think some folks think if a bow has a single, straight width taper, that alone is enough to deem it a pyramid bow?
What I had come to believe however is that a pyramid design has a single, straight width taper, but it's also wide enough to accomplish all of its total tapering in width.... with vitually none needing done in thickness. Yes/no?
Back in December 2014 Del did the test with two plastic pyramids and showed that a 3" and 1 1/2" of the same length had the same bend so in a perfect world it looks like the width of the pyramid doesn't matter. The only bug in the ointment that I can see is the width of the tip. We need a minimum thickness to tie a string on. The thinner the pyramid gets the more we have to cut off the end to get that thickness. In the perfect world I just mentioned we would be pulling from the very apex of these pyramids. But we're not, we're in effect piking the narrower one, and by a substantial amount. I have a tough time thinking in tillerese so what effect would this have on the shape of the bend? And I have a follow-up question please ;)
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A pyramid bow tapers from the fades to the tips, no matter the width; it is pyramidal shape. A semi-pyramid has some parallel limb(whether in be 6", 8", to mid limb) but then tapers to the tips. An overbuilt bow has parallel limbs with a small amount of taper at the tips. All are good bow designs if executed properly, all should have about the same results if tillered properly and the more overbuilt the more durable the design is...if tillered properly.
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Follow up question. How does the Eiffel Tower bow fit into this? Is it kind of a Molle/pyramid cross?
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I am better at making a parallel bow,, and I like the design when making a heavy bow or have wood with issues,,, I am sure a pyramid can work great, but if you are starting with a narrow piece of wood, and need a little more weight ,, the parallel design seems to make more since to me,, :) I think the parallel design might be a bit more versatile ,,??? :)
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I must be realy weird I incorporate both. Not a true taper or a true parallel . Must be greedy and want the best of both worlds. I do get set though. Arvin
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I tend to keep mine relatively wide if not full width out to mid limb, at least to start. I do this so I have a lot to play with in terms of tip alignment, and also so that I have enough stability in the early stages of tillering.
I build a fair number of mine with 3-4" reflex and I find its just easier if I narrow as I'm tillering and the limbs are taking a bit of set as opposed to doing all the width taper beforehand.
I typicslly find I regret not narrowing more than I did by the time I'm slapping finish onto a bow, but I also rarely find myself with insufficient limb stability.
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I do both, on good straight grain wood I do a straight tapper from fads to tip most of the time. On more character wood generally parallel 10 or 12 inches, sometimes to mid limb then straight tapper to the tips. Both work well as far as I have seen. :)
Pappy
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I tend to keep mine relatively wide if not full width out to mid limb, at least to start. I do this so I have a lot to play with in terms of tip alignment, and also so that I have enough stability in the early stages of tillering.
I build a fair number of mine with 3-4" reflex and I find its just easier if I narrow as I'm tillering and the limbs are taking a bit of set as opposed to doing all the width taper beforehand.
I typicslly find I regret not narrowing more than I did by the time I'm slapping finish onto a bow, but I also rarely find myself with insufficient limb stability.
I basically do it the same way. I dont want to over taper beforehand. One of my best shooting bows is way over stressed and has over 2" of set but she shoots well. One thing is for certain it will never break. ;)