Hello,  This is my first post,does anyone know if you need to put glass on a laminated longbow, hickory backing brazilian walnut core and hickory walnut riser. This is what I was wanting to do. I have made the form already it is for a reflex deflex style bow at 62 amo. Just don't want to glue this up, clamp,take off the form string  and snap it in half this would be sad. The hickory is 3/16 and 3 lams of b-walnut one of the lams is really the belly wood

Cool, another interested in making bows. I,m not a glass bow guy. We do have some very accomplished glass bow makers up at the club. Talk to Dale or Steve Redden.

I'm trying to learn all wood laminated bows myself. I've made a few. If your gonna be at the shoot tomorrow look me or Tim up.

well the build went good,off the form things looked good,riser looked nice, shaped well but had some lamination isues 

I didn't even get it strung I put on a bow stringer and was less than half of an inch from strung when snap. The bow is 62 I just slow on the glue up and things were sitting up faster than I thought but did not think it would matter I guess but it did so better luck next time I have another in the form so we will see. Ipe is brazilian walnut I think ,but my hickory is the backing:)

titebond 3 is the glue  and i just thought that the hickory  and two lams of ipe then the fadeout would be good but not sure. the other limb on the bow would not break i tryed and after more looking found that the glue had sat up to fast before the clamping and my form needs a little help but.. the wife dont realy care for the form on my bed but hey its my second love

After further review of your photos, I think I was wrong and you were OK on the riser. It does appear to be correct. Must have been a failure of the backing right there. Did you work it any with a long string ? I use a string longer than the bow at first to check tiller before putting a short string on it.

I made the form, and got all the springclamps but did not plan on laminatin three peices,riser, with glue sitting up so quick ran in to time issues but thought it was glued properly but under close look it wasnot

and IPE is the sorriest stuff you can use.

Hey Turk. Them boys are right....sort of. I think I've heard how ipe comes in a lot of different qualities. A lot of people have had trouble with it over the years. When they first started using  it they probably were importing wood that came from bigger older trees. Now they may be getting wood off 6" trees. This is just a theory on my part. I do know all ipe aint the same

Dale makes glass bows. Smooth On is the best to use on fiberglass to wood glue ups. Wood to wood glues are Resourcinal and Urac185. These are the time tested glues. Since they came out with Tightbond 111 a lot fo guys have had success with it.

All wood composits have a lot of steps that have to be done perfect to turn out good.

First of all make sure your design is correct for the wood, poundage, and draw length.  
Make sure your lams have no gaps, rough up the surfaces to be glued, clean or at least make sure they aren't contaminated with finger oils etc. Make a trial run in your form before glue up. Make sure your glue is not old. Have the right temperature in your room. Clamp pressure is fairly criticle, not too light, not too heavy. Leave on the form a plenty long time. After it comes off let it stay in a warm spot for a couple days. Saw out and check your glue lines. Fill any gaps with super glue. Let dry. Start floor tillering and watch for hinges. Take it slow and teach the wood to bend. Once you get a string on it give it plenty of exercise. Dont over stress. Sand, finish, and outshoot Tim at the next 3D. That's how I would do it anyway 

when you start making bows, make them twice your draw length plus the riser in length. IE: 28+28+10 for a normal guy on a bow with an 10" riser=66 inches minimum length.

After you've made a couple, you get a feel for it, and can shorten them some, if you want. Dennis is a very good information source for you since he's made so many, however when you pick his brain, you need to know that the buzzards have already been there....

just built another bow this one  i had in the  form and wanted to try  some things looks like i just about have my glue joints smooth and most lines look slick just not sure on the riser were do you determine were the riser starts for the 10". This bow is as big as my form is 64" i'll have to make a new form to get a longer bow. Hickory is the main wood used, limbs are 1 1/8 at the widest and limbs are 5/16 thick. I made this one a little looser in the limbs and am taking it easy on the limbs working them ever little bit so... we will see if i ever string this one

Bambi, what can you tell me about the 10" riser were it starts ect...

That's great thanks, trying to sand the limbs and get a little more movement out of them before putting a string on so, id love to see some of you bows do you live in scottsburg or? Thanks

made a 66 inch longbow out of a bamboo flooring board 40 lbs aprox but would like to put a riser on one of these bows will a riser make the center stronger because now it feals weak and can here cracking but have shot over 50 times at full draw ?

hearing "cracking" isn't a good thing, but I suspect it is the string in the grooves, because 50 full-draw shots on a cracked bow would almost surely have broken it.