QUESTION: How do I measure the length of my traditional bow?

ANSWER: The easiest way to measure the length of your traditional bow is to start at the string groove, follow the curvature of the limb along the belly side of the bow, across the riser area, and follow the curvature of the other limb to the other string groove. This will give you the a.m.o. bow length.

Actual string length for a Recurve bow will be 4″ shorter than the a.m.o. bow length.

Actual string length for a Longbow will be 3″ shorter than the a.m.o. bow length.

When purchasing a string from Bingham Projects, indicate your a.m.o. bow length and type of bow. Any package purchased from us will have the a.m.o. bow length indicated on the packaging, not the actual string length.

Click HERE to order strings.

QUESTION: What are the differences between Dacron, Fast Flight Plus and D97 bow strings for traditional bows?

ANSWER: Dacron bow strings are the standard for traditional bows. They are abrasion resistant, durable and consistent. Fast Flight Plus and D97 bow strings work very well with traditional bows and are made of high performance string material. They have minimal creep, superior durability and excellent speed. Limb tips must be appropriately reinforced to be able to use Fast Flight Plus  and D97 bow strings.

All Bingham Bows are Fast Flight Plus and D97 compatible, as long as the appropriate tip overlays are used.

QUESTION: How to build a traditional Recurve bow or Longbow?

ANSWER: You can click HERE to be linked to the First Time Bowyer page. That page will give you a good rundown on everything you will need to get started.

 

QUESTION: How do I determine the thickness of my limb kit (lamination stack)?

 

ANSWER: The thickness of your limb kit directly determines the poundage of the bow. In a recurve bow, a change of .001 of an inch may roughly translate to a 1 pound change in draw weight. In a longbow, .003 of an inch change may translate to a 1 pound change in draw weight. It is a very exact science, and we recommend you measure your limb thickness with a micrometer. Digital calipers are made for measuring round stock where a micrometer is made for measuring flat stock. You can find the Bingham Bow Draw Weight Chart here, which will provide you with a good starting place.

For our 1 piece recurves and t.d. recurves, the limb thickness is composed of 2 pieces of Bo-tuff, 1 parallel, and 1 taper (.002”). The total limb thickness is the sum of all four layers, the taper being measured at the butt (thick) end. For the take-down recurve, the wedge isn’t included in the limb thickness.

 

For our 1 piece longbows and our shallow t.d. longbow, the limb thickness is composed of 2 pieces of Bo-tuff, 3 parallels, and 1 taper (.002”). The total limb thickness is the sum of all six layers, the taper being measured at the butt (thick) end.

 

 

 

For our pronounced t.d. longbow, the limb thickness is composed of 2 pieces of Bo-tuff, 1 regular taper (.002”), 1 parallel, and 1 reverse taper (.002”). The reverse taper is simply a taper that is reversed so that the thin end of the taper is at the butt end of the limb. The total limb thickness is the sum of all five layers, the regular taper being measured at the butt (thick) end and the reverse taper being measured at the thin end. In the case of the t.d. bows, the wedge is never considered part of the limb thickness. Additionally, please note that this chart is accurate for Bingham Bows and designs only. We are happy to offer advice if you are using your own design, but we cannot guarantee an accurate limb thickness for different designs.

If you are ordering a limb lamination kit from us and plan on following one of the Bingham Bow designs you do not need to figure out your limb thickness. Please just state your desired weight, width, length, and draw length and we will figure out the rest for you.

QUESTION: How do I correct limb twist on a traditional bow, Recurve or Longbow?

ANSWER: First, make an 18” long tillering stick and place it between the bow riser and string. At this distance, any limb twist
will be at its worst. Place the bow on the work bench and sight down from the tip towards the riser. If the limb tip points, say, toward the
right, mark that side and remove the tiller stick and string from the bow. On the marked side, file the string groove about an 1/8th of
an inch deeper. This can only be done once! Then remove about an 1/8th of an inch of material from the edge of the limb in the area
of the string groove, tapering back to about the center of the limb. Replace the string and the tillering stick to see if the limb is now
pulling straight. If additional tillering is necessary, remove more material from the same edge of the limb, but don’t further deepen the
string groove.

QUESTION: How do I determine my draw length on my traditional bow?

ANSWER: The easiest way to measure draw length is to string your bow and nock an old arrow on the string. Draw your bow back to a full, comfortable draw, and have someone mark the arrow at the point where it meets the back (target side) of your arrow shelf. Carefully let your bow down. Measure from the base of the groove of the arrow nock to the place on the shaft that you previously marked. This is your draw length. Add 1” to that measurement and that is your arrow length. This additional 1” will give your proper broadhead clearance.

QUESTION: What is the difference between UL and ULS Bo-Tuff?

ANSWER: ULS has a 50/50 woven fiberglass inlay (scrim) that provides cross strength (90 degrees to the longitudinal axis). This scrim layer will give strength lengthwise to help reduce longitudinal cracking. If you are using a radical design or have experienced cracking, for instance, around the holes drilled for your limb locking hardware, ULS may be considered. For most designs, however, UL and ULS work equally well.

Clear glass is available .030″, .040″, and .050″ in UL and .043″ and .050″ in ULS.

White glass is available .040″ and .050″ in UL.

Black glass is available .030″ in UL, and .040″, .050″, (.060″ 1.5″ only) in ULS.

Brown glass is available .040″ and .050″ in ULS.

Olive Green glass is available .040″ and .050″ in ULS.

QUESTION: Which Riser should I choose?

ANSWER: With traditional bows (Recurves, Take-Down Recurves, Longbows and Take-Down Longbows), riser (handle) woods are chosen for color, beauty of grain, strength and ability to take a good finish. Avoid soft woods as they cannot stand the stress of a working bow. Avoid those woods with an open grain structure, those that will “bleed” color, or those whose oily nature prohibits a good finish. With the advanced technology of high stressed limbs found in compound bows, came multi-lamination risers made from blocks of 1/16” veneer. These laminated risers are very strong and are found in many colors. Another way to achieve a colorful riser is to laminate combinations of accent strips made of hardwood, phenolic or core-tuff. This will furnish strength and beauty.

QUESTION: Which bow limb laminations should I choose?

ANSWER: There are several things to take into consideration with this question, but the easiest answer is: Choose the wood that is most aesthetically pleasing to you. In reality, most of the strength and performance of you limbs comes from the fiberglass. Obviously a lighter limb will be a faster limb, but the difference between the heaviest wood we stock and the lightest wood we stock would only be a few feet per second, if that. So pick the wood that really speaks to you, especially if you are opting for clear fiberglass, which will allow you to see the back and belly of the bow. Take a look at our Wood Samples page, the Bingham Bows page, and the Bow of the Month page to get an idea of what wood combinations you find the most aesthetically pleasing.

Another consideration would be the availability of full length 72″ laminations. Most bowyers find a full length parallel lamination easier to work with when gluing up the bow. If that is something you are interested in, you should consider maple, red elm, ash, or action-boo for your parallels, as these are the only woods we can cut full length. Any other wood, and all tapers, are 36″ pairs.

 

 

QUESTION: What is “stacking”?

ANSWER: “Stacking” is a term which also bothers novices. This is the amount of increase in weight as the bow is drawn. It occurs in all bows, but can be intensified in three ways. First, the bow may be too short for the draw length. A longer bow could help this problem. Second, the ratio of fiberglass weight or thickness should also be increased. Third, the more radical the limb design the more the stack will increase. This means that at a given limb length the bow weight, a more pronounced recurve design, will stack more at full draw. The use of multiple tapers in a limb can also cause stacking.

QUESTION: How do I get rid of hand shock?

ANSWER: I am asked repeatedly about hand shock. You often notice this when shooting a longbow for the first time. After you have shot for a while, you will become less aware of this when you release the arrow. You are less likely to notice this when shooting a recurve, take-down recurve or even a take-down longbow. It is a simple law of physics, relating to weight and mass. The flat longbow has a heavy, long limb and a short, light riser. The motion of the long limb cannot be absorbed by the smaller riser, thus the hand shock. When compared to the longbow, the recurve and take-down recurve limb is shorter and lighter with a larger and heavier riser; the shock of the lighter limb moving forward is absorbed by the riser, thus lessening the hand shock and giving the “soft feel”. Therefore, to lessen hand shock in a longbow, you can do one or a combination of a few things. You can shorten the bow, use a reflex/deflex design, or use a heavier (more dense) riser.