Author Topic: Is there a formula for brace height?  (Read 8134 times)

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Offline oic0

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Is there a formula for brace height?
« on: May 13, 2012, 06:40:34 pm »
Is there a formula for how many inches shorter than my nock to nock the string needs to be to get X brace height? Have a decent tiller, ready to shoot, I'm running 3 less than nock to nock and only have about 1 inch :( That of course slaps the piss out of my hand and puts some wobble on the arrow. If 3 inches gets me an inch, do I need a string like 12 - 14 inches short to get a shootable brace height? or am I doing something wrong here.

Offline beetlebailey1977

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2012, 06:54:45 pm »
Normally a two to three inch shorter string will get you close to what you need but that can vary from bow to bow.  I choose on a selfbow to brace as low as possible and still clear my feathers.  For me that is at least 6" or more from the back of the grip.
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2012, 07:14:02 pm »
If it is a Flemish string then twist it. Jawge
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If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2012, 07:15:28 pm »
If its a flemish string twist it up until you get to 5 1/4" brace. Then shoot it 2-3 times, if your arrows fly like crap and is loud twist it 4-5 more times and repeat until your bow quiets down and your arrows fly good. Arm slap can be from a bunch of things, not just brace height. 
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Badger

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2012, 09:02:56 pm »
  3" should be enough, you may have the wrong string material or not enough strands of string. I never go more than 4" on a long bow.

Offline oic0

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2012, 09:33:08 pm »
I didnt think this 500+lb cord would stretch so much with so little weight on it. It was stretching over an inch. I need some better string.

I got it to this much brace height with yalls suggestion of 2 or 3 inches. The fletchings are still hitting while its on the string, is that ok?. Maybe I need to lean more towards the 3" and less towards the two. The string is catfish line from the baitshop. Twisted nylon with tar on it or some such. Should I twist that on down / shorten it or look in to getting a real string? or run with what I have? The arrows have a bit of wobble to em in flight. Like the tail end gets kicked up as it leaves the bow.

« Last Edit: May 13, 2012, 09:42:45 pm by oic0 »

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2012, 09:37:35 pm »
You need a real string.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2012, 09:43:16 pm »
Most bowstrings are made from dacron B 50. That is what  recommend so you need to order one from a sponsor that is  inches shorter than the nock to nock distance of your bow or you need to make one. I don't know where there is a sponsor list.  Jawge
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Offline beetlebailey1977

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2012, 10:44:43 pm »
I agree......get some bowsring material.......can't skimp on that.  If you do you may damage your bow or injure yourself.  Get some B-50 or B-55 material.
Happy hunting to all!
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Offline doggonemess

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2012, 11:01:04 pm »
Until I got B-50 from Amazon, I tried lots of different materials for string, and found that the absolute worst was cotton, followed by hemp. My favorite material was 'kite string', but it stretched like crazy. I found that upholstery thread works great - it's very string and incredibly thin, and easy to find. Any fabric / sewing store will have it. It does tear up your fingers, though.

In the end, I'm so happy that I got B-50. It even came pre-waxed.
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Offline lesken2011

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2012, 12:21:57 am »
One of the old 1940's-50's bow making articles in Popular Mechanics described the use of upholstery thread for the string, but dacron is what I learned on and still use some along with fast flight. To me, the bow design has a lot to do with the best brace height. I had a friend that had a recurve that came with a recommended brace height of 7 1/2 inches which seemed like a lot, but worked well for that design. If I am not sure, I start with a fistmele and the adjust from  there depending on arrow flight, etc. Higher brace heights generally are a little more forgiving, for me at least, but you give up some cast and arrow speed. Arrow spine and feather length are also considerations. IMHO
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Offline Stiks-N-Strings

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2012, 01:13:50 am »
oic0

 If you send me your addy and the length of string you need I'll twist you up a b-50 with one loop and you can learn how to tie a bowyers knot (also called a timber hitch) on the other end
learned a great deal many things during my absence the last few years,
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Offline carpentertimw

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2012, 12:10:20 pm »
Your main problem with that string is that nylon stretches a ridiculous amount. You should get some B-50 or Fast Flight instead.

Offline johnston

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2012, 12:22:13 pm »
I will no doubt catch some flack for saying this but...My once surgeon level hands are only
a shadow of their former glory and it is tough for me to twist up strings and it hurts like
hell. I asked halfeye about this cause he has hand trouble also. His advice was artificial
sinew (available from 3Rivers).
Twist with a drill, double overhand loop on the top and bowyers knot on the bottom.Works
like a charm and if it is good enough for Rich........

Lane

Offline oic0

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Re: Is there a formula for brace height?
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2012, 11:47:28 pm »
Picked up a dacron flemish string this morning. 3 inches shorter than nock to nock (56.5"). Soon as it comes in I'm going to shoot the heck out of it till I stop sucking at archery :D

oic0

 If you send me your addy and the length of string you need I'll twist you up a b-50 with one loop and you can learn how to tie a bowyers knot (also called a timber hitch) on the other end

Thats what I get for not paying attention to my thread!. The one I bought was only $8 though and I would have felt bad giving you only that much for postage and the trouble of mailing it. Thank you for the offer though.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2012, 11:52:14 pm by oic0 »