From: grizzly
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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Is it feasible to reduce draw weight on a laminated recurve. DH Hunter 62" Like to drop a few pounds without sending it off to a true professional. Any ideas or guidance appreciated. Thanks
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From: larryhatfield
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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A few pounds is only safe with a heavy bow, over 60#. They lose poundage quickly. Anything 50 and under is relegated to 3-4# maximum unless you take the limb width down drastically. Of course many people will post that they take 5-10# routinely. Just giving my experience with that bow.
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From: grizzly
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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This is a 55 lb that I would like to reduce a little. Do you sand the limb edges equally and keep checking tiller and straightness ? The whole limb?
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From: larryhatfield
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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We used a special drum sander and took a little glass off the belly and lightly on the back if needed. It's pretty tricky because the limbs are not perfectly flat. You could probably get a couple of pounds off by dressing down the edges. Yes, take 3-4 passes off both edges on both limbs and then reweigh and check tiller. Or, like has been mentioned, get a lighter bow. Used ones are pretty cheap.
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From: Frisky
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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All you do is draw 1" shorter. Instant 3 pounds taken off the weight. Draw 2" shorter for 6 pounds off. That's what I do. Works every time.
Joe
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From: Muddyboots
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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I took 10% off two bows by reducing the limb width 10%. Took width off equally on both sides. Tiller and nock point did not change. Mark the sides of the bow and go slow.
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From: Bassman
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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I have used the muddy boots method many times. I even cut a sharper angle on the riser ends on a Samick Sage ,and trimmed the limbs as above ,and took a 50# bow down to 40# and at my draw 37#.I use it all the time for keeping up good form.
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From: Backcountry
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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Measure and mark the limb width at 2" increments along the length and reduce 10% at each cross section, 5% off each edge. That way the limb is reduced proportionally. A digital micrometer is needed to measure accurately-- you're only going to be taking off a few thousandths of an inch.
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From: aromakr
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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Here's a case when the internet experts think they know more than the man who made DH bow for many, many years. Larry has made more bows than most of you have seen in your lifetime. Grizzly listen to Larry Hatfield.
Bob
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From: Backcountry
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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I'm no expert, but a gentleman who used to post frequently on Leatherwall, and quite an accomplished bowmaker, suggested I try this technique. It has worked well for me on several bows.
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From: Sawtooth (Original)
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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Yeah. “LOL” is right. There’s more than one person in the world who knows how to make a bow. Or reduce weight, as it were.
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From: fdp
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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What aromakr said. Notice he said "Just giving my experience with that bow"
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From: gluetrap
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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with shipping both ways and labor?? buy one 5lbs. lighter shoot them both for a month or two then sell the one you like less.
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From: JFH
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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one reason Ive quit buying used bows, too many people messing with them then trying to unload them....... and not saying anything about it. don't want to pay good money for a crap bow........ sell the heavy one and buy a lighter one......
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From: lost run
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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I had a local bowyer sand each side of the ends of the limbs of a zebra wood Super Diabalo. He took it from 67lb down to 62lbs. It turned out good. If I had to do it again I would find a lighter bow. I think what Larry Hatfield said is that a bow would perform best as it was originally designed is probably right.
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From: dean
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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I have reduced poundage on three recurves. One I picked out of a garbage dumpster, it was way out of line and the normal twisty/heat thing didn't work. I took glass off of the belly and a little of the sides in the recurve, It was 42 it ended up at 38. Another was a Wards Ben Pearson cheapy. It was a boxy clunker of a bow, I trimmed out the grip rounded the back of the grip reduced the massive blocky tips, then trimmed down the limbs to balance that thinning out and then took some off of the belly glass to balance out the bow limbs. That bow is still in use after many years. The person that i gave it too says it is the best shooting recurve that he has ever shot and continues to get deer with it. I took it from 52 to 46 pounds. The third one, a Bingham kit bow, came to me in two pieces, i even had to reglue a split in the upper limb. I did all of the stuff to make it a trimmer bow and then started chasing alignment and tiller. I was hoping to go from its original 48 and end up around 42 or 44 pounds. It ended up with all of the tiller chasing at 37 pounds, but it is still in shooting condition.
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From: Backcountry
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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"I think what Larry Hatfield said is that a bow would perform best as it was originally designed is probably right."
Ya, well... one of the bows I reduced weight on is a 1973 DH Hunter. I didn't want to, but after reducing another bow and then checking tiller on my Hunter, I discovered it was out of tiller--the upper limb was about 1/2" stronger than the lower. By the time I got done re-tillering, it went from 52# to 49#. Then I re-sealed the edges with an acetone/superglue wash.
This bow has sentimental value, and spent about 40 years on a dusty backroom gun rack before I reacquired it from the college friend I sold it to.
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From: GLF
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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I've never reduced a bow because I buy bows for limb design and the way it performs. If you change that why buy that bow to start with.
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From: Iwander
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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Anybody that's built several bows should be able to remove 5 lbs. From a bowl but average hunting draw weight. The biggest pain about it is getting all the Sanding marks out of the glass. A belt sander with a 80 or 100 grit belt and a light touch followed by a sanding block with finer grits is what works best for me. Working on one limb at a time and checking tiller frequently.
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From: Iwander
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Date: 16-Sep-18 |
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Bow rather
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From: Bassman
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Date: 17-Sep-18 |
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Right on Iwander,and fix cracked handles,broken limb tips,limb twist,put phenolic tip overlays ,and ff strings to enhance performance.Just have to know how.Experience is the best teacher.If Grizzly is totally confident he can do it with our direction it can be done .If not then he has the option to send it to some who can, or sale it ,and buy another bow.Larry is one of the big names in archery. He makes beautiful bows ,shot a number of game, flight shoots,and did a lot over the years to promote archery.I hold him in highest regard like the rest of the guys do.It has been his life.So no one means to nock Larry Hatfield, and his veiws.Grizzly asked the question, we gave him the answer.Now it is his choice to do what he wants to do.Good shooting, and hunting to all.
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From: 2 bears
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Date: 17-Sep-18 |
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Can it be done? Absolutely. Is it profitable? No way,much better for a bowyer to build and sell a new bow. First you determine width to thickness and the thickness of the glass. Then you can plan where to remove material and how much. As Larry said they are not flat to begin with. If removing material from the faces run a piece of tape from fade to re-curve or string notch if longbow. Mark it equally on both limbs every 2" on both sides of tape. It may vary .010 from one side to the other and all over the map from end to end. Slowly and carefully remove a couple of thousands at a time. Re mike every spot every time you sand. If you have plenty of glass .010 off both faces will average about 5 pounds of reduction. I have tried counting strokes and it don't agree with close measuring. If you need more reduction then turn to the sides. Scribe a line with a good sharp divider and sand to line. To the line,don't count strokes. Stop and check weight and tiller OFTEN. I chalk the faces to be sure where I am removing material. Wear a respirator. You better have a well practiced hand if you use a spindle or drum sander. One thin spot in the glass or one break through on one of the already low spots and it it toast. To save a bow that belonged to someone special or one you made your first kill with,to me, it is worth it. Only you can decide. Being on SS I have a lot more time than money and I try to help someone out now and then. Good luck. >>>-----> Ken
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From: RonG
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Date: 17-Sep-18 |
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Good post Bassman.
Thank you Larry for helping Grizzly, I know you are a busy man taking care of the spread and cattle.
It isn't said enough that Mr. Hatfield is a Master at bow building and how lucky we are to have him helping so many people in the short time I have been on this site. A lot of folks don't realize what this man has done in his life time, he is a Howard Hill to me not because he can hit a dime being thrown into the air, but he knows an awful lot about bows and has made more bows than most people have seen. I am still a fan of his Mamba bow he made for the olympics, I believe that is the best all around recurve bow ever made, period.
Sorry for interfering on your post Grizzly, but I have to commend Larry for what he does. Good luck on your decision.
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From: Sawtooth (Original)
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Date: 17-Sep-18 |
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Yep. The spread and cattle must be attended to. That is a lot of work. :)
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From: Backcountry
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Date: 17-Sep-18 |
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HH, carefully sanding and mic'ing limb width as I went did, in fact, reduce draw weight for the bows I have worked on. And sanding the edges only eliminated need to refinish the entire bow.
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From: 2 bears
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Date: 17-Sep-18 |
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Glass and lamination's are all rectangles when glued up. Then the bowyer draws out the bow and sands it down to the lines. I suspect a few get out of the lines, and a few need farther reduction to make weight or to adjust tiller. What would be the difference in doing it then or later? Just asking. >>>----> Ken
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From: grizzly
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Date: 17-Sep-18 |
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Thanks for all the info and opinions. I think I will leave it as is and not mess up a beautiful Purple heart hunter. If I cant work up to that weight, it will be in nice condition for some other feller after I'm gone.
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From: Frisky
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Date: 18-Sep-18 |
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Oh, it's a purpleheart Hunter! The bows that are marked 4 pounds lighter than they really are! Best thing to do with them is trade for one marked 5 pounds lighter than you want or use them for tomato stakes.
Joe
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