I really hate to do it but need a few off a bow.

You like to sand back or belly or both ?

I assume you have rounded the corners aggressively first? Sort of a trapping. Then the belly. I have taken as much as nine lbs corners belly and back but it took awhile. I have started with 80 grit counting strokes to 180.

She's trapped to the back,, but I gotta look to see if I can round the belly corners some more. Don't want to narrow it any more.

My stack math must suck lately...

My stack math suffers at times to. 

How much you can safely sand glass depends on the draw weight and limb design. It's actually a lot more than you would think. A 50# bow will hold up fine with .030 glass belly and back. So if you are using .040 glass you could sand as much as .010 belly and back if  you are accurately doing it.

I've taken as much as 12 pounds off limbs before and they lasted many years. I've got a bow I've used personally for almost 15 years that I put .022 clear glass over . 012 veneers , over carbon that is still going strong and I bet I have 30,000 arrows through that 57 bow....


Btw.... Don't be afraid to narrow up a width profile. Even on a recurve design you would be surprised how narrow you can make these and still maintain stability if your design isn't too radical. Your limb shape and limb thickness is what determines stability. Not width....On light weight glass limb  bows, use a parallel lam, or even a reverse taper to keep the thickness at the base of the curl. Either that or use a bias weave carbon on the back to help hold it straight.     

I regularly use 80 grit to tiller my bows and Lower draw weight to within a couple pounds of target wt. Then finish sand them.... I sand both belly and back evenly myself. I try and hit draw weight about 5 pounds over target weight on rough profile draw check.

Now heavy draw weight bows over 60-70 # I use thicker glass,  but using .040 glass in the 60-70 # range I limit the sanding to minimal tillering adjustments.

Thanks Kirk

I slowly and carefully got her down to my target weight . She pretty quick too for 44@28

Didn't happen wifout pichers....

In some of the reading I've done it said glass was better at tension than compression, so if im not trapping I usually start on the back. Im here to learn if Im doing it wrong though.

Quote from: Roy from Pa on February 22, 2025, 02:30:08 PM
Didn't happen wifout pichers....

Ain't got no finish on it or even done finish sanding...

Quote from: kennym on February 22, 2025, 03:17:03 PM

Quote from: Roy from Pa on February 22, 2025, 02:30:08 PM
Didn't happen wifout pichers....

Ain't got no finish on it or even done finish sanding...

So what's yer point Spanky?

Has to be pretty to show it!!

This all ya get for now 

Quote from: kennym on February 22, 2025, 04:31:50 PM
This all ya get for now 

that is pretty!!!

Quote from: Watsonjay on February 22, 2025, 02:33:00 PM
In some of the reading I've done it said glass was better at tension than compression, so if im not trapping I usually start on the back. Im here to learn if Im doing it wrong though.

Almost every material we use is better in tension than compression and fibreglass is no exception. Trapping the back and/or sanding the back glass first is the best way to go if you don't want to narrow the whole limb like Kirk was suggesting.


Mark

Quote from: Kirkll on February 09, 2025, 11:20:56 PM
How much you can safely sand glass depends on the draw weight and limb design. It's actually a lot more than you would think. A 50# bow will hold up fine with .030 glass belly and back. So if you are using .040 glass you could sand as much as .010 belly and back if  you are accurately doing it.

I've taken as much as 12 pounds off limbs before and they lasted many years. I've got a bow I've used personally for almost 15 years that I put .022 clear glass over . 012 veneers , over carbon that is still going strong and I bet I have 30,000 arrows through that 57 bow....


Btw.... Don't be afraid to narrow up a width profile. Even on a recurve design you would be surprised how narrow you can make these and still maintain stability if your design isn't too radical. Your limb shape and limb thickness is what determines stability. Not width....On light weight glass limb  bows, use a parallel lam, or even a reverse taper to keep the thickness at the base of the curl. Either that or use a bias weave carbon on the back to help hold it straight.     

I regularly use 80 grit to tiller my bows and Lower draw weight to within a couple pounds of target wt. Then finish sand them.... I sand both belly and back evenly myself. I try and hit draw weight about 5 pounds over target weight on rough profile draw check.

Now heavy draw weight bows over 60-70 # I use thicker glass,  but using .040 glass in the 60-70 # range I limit the sanding to minimal tillering adjustments.

Thanks for the info! I´ll try this later.

Update on the Phoenix (rebuilt repeatedly) , she done and shoots great, made weight I was after but had to let my hair grow out so I could pull it out...

Quote from: kennym on February 28, 2025, 12:52:24 PM
Update on the Phoenix (rebuilt repeatedly) , she done and shoots great, made weight I was after but had to let my hair grow out so I could pull it out...

Isn't that something.... Sometimes these just go smooth as silk and you walk right through it. Other times the damn things fight you every inch of the way.

I had a bow i built with an English walnut riser and an I-beam that came out beautiful. but i had a lot of micro checks in that wood for some reason. I'd get everything filled and sealed up looking good, spray the finish,  Then find another micro crack or check....  I sprayed that riser 4 times before i finally got a decent finished product....Dad burn thing kicked my arse!   

So i can relate Kenny.... Sometimes you get da lion.... Sometimes da lion get you... I had teeth marks all over my arse on that bow....

Quote from: kennym on February 28, 2025, 12:52:24 PM
Update on the Phoenix (rebuilt repeatedly) , she done and shoots great, made weight I was after but had to let my hair grow out so I could pull it out...

Good news. Now where are the full pics?


Mark

Kenny old folks usually don't have that much hair anyhow. Your still growing. 

God, give me the strength not to type anything here about ole Kenny:)