I'm building my first take down now. Bocote limbs with clear glass on both sides. I did my best when tapping the riser to make sure everything was square, but apparently it wasn't. I tried using a string like I've seen in many build a longs to try and eye ball a center line and correct the limbs not running true. After working on it for a while I thought I got it pretty straight so cut some shallow nocks and strung it up. Still out of whack. Is there any trick to this that doesn't involve just standing over the bow and eye balling it? I don't like making "guestimations". Don't want to keep removing limb material until I have a solid plan and at this point I don't. Any help is appreciated. I can add a pic if needed.

Anyone?

Pictures would be very helpful.

The bottom limb is pretty straight from what I can tell. The top isn't which causes the limb to twist.

I'd deepen the string nock a little on the side the string is tracking and recheck (the top side in the picture). It may only take a few strokes of the file...

Yeah that's the plan. I guess the real question is does anyone have a trick to lining up limbs other than just eye balling it?

I agree with Trux. I have tried other methods besides the taught string, laser etc but, always come back to the string for alignment. I have never tried the cabling blocks and some swear by them. Sometimes everything can be aligned and ladi out straight and still have a little bit of twist. Wood used in laminations is sometimes weaker one side than the other. I do measure side to side thickness of my limbs before gluing and flip and swap things around to get the measurements as close as possible. I think you might be asking if there is a fool proof way to align a dead straight limb every time. If that is the case I would unfortunately have to say I have not found one. I cannot stress enough the importance of taking your time and being very sure your nocks are cut in straight across from each other.

Before anything swap the limbs and see if the straight one twists on that same end- if so it might be the limb pad itself that isn't "square" causing "built in " twist.

thats not that far off,if deepening the nock doesnt work take some off the opposite edge to center the string.I user a laser light on the riser to start marking where the inserts and index pins will be.

Working on my first curve as well, and I have to say I never thought so little would go so far when it comes to tracking. My string would miss the limb entirely coming down from full draw, 18-20 strokes and it is 1/8" off now. Mine is a one piece so a few fewer things to go wrong, point is take it slow if you sand the offending edges.

This may help found it on another site posted by chackworth, a real good guy for sure!

Thanks for the help. One last question, I made the limbs long so that I had some room for error if things don't go perfect. I think I could fix this without taking any length off however it's drawing really light. Using a 70" string which is really 66 1/2" it draws 35#. Chronos at 159 fps which seems decent for a bow that light weight that's out of whack. Anyway hoping to be more like 50-55#. Any idea how much to shorten limbs? Is there a rule of thumb?

I think if I remember right 5-10 lbs an inch for a longbow; a recurve I have no idea may not make that much of a difference depending on how much your curves work.

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