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Update on 120# yew warbow - I don't like to complain, but...

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WillS:
I'm quite comfortable at 32" - all of my arrows are cut to 32" and I draw to the shoulder every time.  I'm more or less on top of 100 - 115# but I can't get this bow past 12"!  So far it's shown me that it's around 100 at 20" which is of course far too heavy if my target weight is 120.

Trouble is, until I'm happy with the tiller where it is (between 14" and 20") I'm not gonna be drawing it to 32" just to find the final weight!  It's taken quite enough set already ;)

Del the cat:
100# at 20" asuming a 6" brace gives 100/14 which is 7# per inch which would give 7x(32-6) at 32" which is 182#
I think you really need to be working with a scale!
So yes, you'd better take a mm off the whole belly and re-weigh it!
Del
(I thought you'd just bought a scale... or was that someone else? I dunno... wha'eva'  ;) )

WillS:
Oh I've got a scale.   It's a very accurate scale and if I was to pull the bow to 32" I'd know exactly where I stood, but I'm not happy enough with the tiller to do that yet. 

I was basically wondering whether it's worth reducing the weight now (if I was to reduce the weight at all) or wait until the tiller is perfect and the bow is finished, then mess about with reducing the draw weight, at the risk of unbalancing the tiller again.  Or something like that!

I guess basically my options are:

1) Treat this bow as my only bow, and reduce the weight to the point where I can shoot it now, at the risk of unbalancing the tiller and possibly end up with an overstressed bow that doesn't perform well

2) Leave it as it is and work myself into it (provided it's not a ridiculous weight at the moment)

3) Leave it, and build another one sharpish for March so I can attend the shoot but don't need to fiddle with what is almost a finished bow.

Del the cat:
Key point with making any bow, is you really should start with a target weight in mind otherwise you end up in exactly the bind you are in now.
Judging from your previous post, I'd say 130# was a sensible weight, maybe if you are really bullish about your strength and fitness 150#, any more than that is (IMO) daft.
So I'd say go for option 1. But do it like this.
Decide on your target weight, pull the bow to that (obviously stopping before there if it looks off kilter) note the draw length and then take wood off slow and steady checking regularly and maintaining tiller as you work it back.
There is no other sensible way to do it.
Option 2. Doesn't work because the figures suggest it's a silly weight.
Option 3. Achieves nothing and trying to build a bow 'sharpish' is a recipe for disaster.
IMO, You are better off maximising your learning experience on this one.... OMG that sounds like management speak :o
Del

WillS:
Bowyer Management 101.  I'd go!

I think you're right - each bow is a different learning curve, so I guess getting the most out of each one is the right way to go. 

130# is still way too heavy for me currently, 120# was my original goal as that would be hard work enough but still achievable within the year, I figured.  To be honest, this bow got to the stage where anything over 100# seemed like a bonus but it's quite nice knowing that I'm well into the green with draw weight.  It's now just about finding a safe, risk-free (or at least, minimum risk) way of bringing the weight down.

I think I need to finally accept that this bow won't be the magnificent screamer I was hoping it would be - the set it's taken due to my hesitation and slow tillering, plus the mistakes I made dealing with the reflex limb have prevented it from ever being a high performance monster, so I need to just crack on and get "a bow" out of it!!

Cheers for the push in the right direction!

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