I'm getting ready to build a 68" flat laminated fiberglass longbow. It will be 1-1/8" at the fadeouts and about 9/16 at the string nocks. anyone have any advice on overall thickness of the laminates to get close to a 45 pound bow? I will be using maple laminates with 0.050 glass on both sides. I know there are a pile of variables but I am just looking for a starting point so I don't end up with a 15 or an 80 pound bow. Thanks.

.44 with .002 taper if glued up perfectly straight with 16" riser

Dick Wightman's site is a wealth of info on the topic. I think he prefers(preferred?) a lower taper rate as I suggest. It'll let you skinny those tips and/or at least trap them to the belly. This let's the string pivot smoothly. I'll post some of mine later if my camera cooperates.

How long is riser, and how many tapers. Jeff F

You can use Bingham's site for reference if your only using.002 and add .020-.030 if using short riser 16".

That riser is 18". Two .001 tapers. 69" n2n

Riser is 15". Do you guys recommend 1 or 2 tapers? Or more? I had planned on having 4 layers of maple (3 on the back side, 1 on the belly). So if I use .440 with 2 .050 glass. That means I need the maples to total .340. I would like to trap the belly side. Should I go thicker than .440 to trap it? Thanks for the help.

There is a builder in the U P he puts .004-.005 taper in his skinny bows with a fifteen" riser

The number of tapered laminations doesn't matter, only total taper rate. Are you ordering from binghams? If so you may want to order three 72" maple lams and one tapered pair that'll run up the fades. You won't have to splice but that's easy to do too.. same stack even if you trap, it doesn't drop much weight start by trapping the outer 8-12" of limb and work it down if you want to loose weight.

What does "trapping" mean in bow making?

Thanks for all the responses. I'll be making the laminates. so I think I will do 3 maple laminates and 1 tapered at least 0.002. would tapering 0.004 make any noticeable differences?

I would use multiple tapers to achieve a .004 or .005 taper, simply because in order to get more than .002 taper out of one lam you have to be pretty thick on the butt end. And thinner is better in laminations.

On a straight limb longbow like you described i would certainly go more than .002 taper. Although .002 would be fine, i think you will get a nicer shooting bow with .004 or even .005 taper. Unless you go thinner at your tips.

I wood at least run four tapers of.002 and one parallel. And stay with .440 stack at fades u might go down to an inch at fade to get final pounds 1.0 is fine I would no go much under 1.000 use some digital calipers. .500 at nock end no things. U can make top belly ramp longer to help with stiffer bottom.Jeff F

Traping is a term used for short trapizoid,not rectangle the short sides are laid in toward s the back or belly. I would not trap a bow until I get close tou poundage like within three to four. Traping is away to lower pounds. My guess,let's. Jeff F

heres the bow, came out about 44 pounds. used 0.410 total thickness. used two 0.002 tapers. thanks for the help.

What woods did you end up using

Osage riser, hickory cores, and 0.030 red cedar under the back and belly glass.

How do u like hickory in the core on a laminate glass bow.I hear hickory does not like humidity. Put a good sealer coat on that bad boy might help with the humidity changes. I've wanted to try some red cedar, just love that look. Jeff

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