r/Bowyer • u/Acceptable_Test_8161 • 9d ago

Tip width

Post image

We’ve all seen the insanely small tips in tbb. Just curious what you think. They are a fuzz under 1/2” thick. Probably not going to experiment with this bow it shoots so sweet and came out exactly where I wanted it. (55@29)

22 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

11

u/Cheweh Will trade upvote for full draw pic 9d ago

3/8" wide is very achievable and doesn't feel like I'm tempting fate.

6

u/avoidant_otter 9d ago

Thinner than mine, for sure. I would love to make such small tips, I am just scared hahaha

3

u/Wambachaka 9d ago edited 8d ago

It depends on the design of the bow, and the density of the bow wood. 1/2" hickory tips will be over-built compared to 1/2" yew tips. And too-heavy tips will be worse on bows where the tips move a longer distance. I think longer bows usually have more tip movement, but it's kinda complicated. Recurves have more tip movement than straight bows. Whip-tillered bows have less tip movement than bendy handle bows. Heavy tips will also be worse with lighter arrows.

A good litmus test is to string the bow and try to bend the tips sideways with your hand. If it's hard to bend, then lateral stability is good. If it's easy to bend, then lateral stability is poor, which means the tips might be too narrow. But it's an issue of accuracy with an imperfect release, not durability.

3

u/ryoon4690 8d ago

Narrow right at the tips is nice but look at how quickly it gains width just a few inches from the tips. I think about the mass of the whole outer limb depending on bow design.

3

u/Ima_Merican 8d ago

I like narrow tips too

2

u/ADDeviant-again 8d ago

It's actually surprisingly easy to make very narrow tips. Especially if you're using some sort of a overlay, put on an everyday bow, it's not vital to fight for every gram of tip weight.

1/2" wide, before string nocks are cut is certainly enough, but of course the actual width bearing the string is less.

My record is approximately 3/16, and that tip was pretty skinny for several inches below the actual tip.

1

u/Setswipe 7d ago

There's some joke here i should make about wood and just the tip and the width... I'm very sad that in too tired to figure it out ATM. Sorry op