Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: alwayslookin on December 10, 2016, 03:40:51 pm
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So i have a crepe myrtle bow Ive been working for a while now.Its pretty reflexed about 3 inches give or take. I have been trying to brace it to continue tillering. I wants to flip around every time i do this though. Is this a handle or tip alignment issue? I have never worked such a reflexed stave so any help or ideas would be great.
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Too much working limb can cause this especially in the outer limbs. Too narrow can also make them touchy, reflexing right out of the handle can contribute as well. 3" is just about the point where they start getting touchy and more sensitive to different issues. If I limit my working limb to about 12" I can easily keep about 6" reflex with loosing stability at brace. Of course trying to keep your reflex without much working limb means you need to go wider and thinner.
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Yes, it can be a tip alignment issue. I've cut the nocks a little further in on upper and lower limbs on the side it is flipping towards. See if that helps. Jawge
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Just like the pros have said, it's always been width, location of reflex, and/or alignment for me. The shape of the handle seems to affect stability at brace as well. If the belly side is "trapped" (narrower compared to the back side) the bow wants to flip around.
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With an unreflexed bow you can use a loose tillering string, or a low brace height to tentatively check the tiller, before increasing to a full brace height.
With a reflexed bow you need to brace the bow higher from the get go. 5" or more this will stop the tendency for the bow to flip itself. A higher initial brace height also gives you a clearer read whether the string is tracking correctly.
This can be a lot riskier than an unreflexed bow, as you can induce set, or hinges, or even break a stave by trying to bend it too much whilst its too strong
Before you try it make sure the limbs are bending smoothly and are of a relatively even strength. This is done by floortillering.
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When i have this problem i glue on some temporary string bridges and that solves the problem
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With an unreflexed bow you can use a loose tillering string, or a low brace height to tentatively check the tiller, before increasing to a full brace height.
With a reflexed bow you need to brace the bow higher from the get go. 5" or more this will stop the tendency for the bow to flip itself. A higher initial brace height also gives you a clearer read whether the string is tracking correctly.
This can be a lot riskier than an unreflexed bow, as you can induce set, or hinges, or even break a stave by trying to bend it too much whilst its too strong
Before you try it make sure the limbs are bending smoothly and are of a relatively even strength. This is done by floortillering.
100% Agreed.
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With an unreflexed bow you can use a loose tillering string, or a low brace height to tentatively check the tiller, before increasing to a full brace height.
With a reflexed bow you need to brace the bow higher from the get go. 5" or more this will stop the tendency for the bow to flip itself. A higher initial brace height also gives you a clearer read whether the string is tracking correctly.
This can be a lot riskier than an unreflexed bow, as you can induce set, or hinges, or even break a stave by trying to bend it too much whilst its too strong
Before you try it make sure the limbs are bending smoothly and are of a relatively even strength. This is done by floortillering.
100% Agreed.
+1 I like to get my reflexed bows tillered out to about 14 inches with the long string before I try to get it braced.
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Too much working limb can cause this especially in the outer limbs. Too narrow can also make them touchy, reflexing right out of the handle can contribute as well. 3" is just about the point where they start getting touchy and more sensitive to different issues. If I limit my working limb to about 12" I can easily keep about 6" reflex with loosing stability at brace. Of course trying to keep your reflex without much working limb means you need to go wider and thinner.
So too much working limb i was thinking the opposite.. The reflex does come out of the handle
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Yes, it can be a tip alignment issue. I've cut the nocks a little further in on upper and lower limbs on the side it is flipping towards. See if that helps. Jawge
Can you explain that a little more if you dont mind?
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With an unreflexed bow you can use a loose tillering string, or a low brace height to tentatively check the tiller, before increasing to a full brace height.
With a reflexed bow you need to brace the bow higher from the get go. 5" or more this will stop the tendency for the bow to flip itself. A higher initial brace height also gives you a clearer read whether the string is tracking correctly.
This can be a lot riskier than an unreflexed bow, as you can induce set, or hinges, or even break a stave by trying to bend it too much whilst its too strong
Before you try it make sure the limbs are bending smoothly and are of a relatively even strength. This is done by floortillering.
Ya i think this could be part of my issue its pretty strong still i think i will bring the weight down then try a higher brace. Should i get the the middle end or close to the handle bending more? id say most of the flex is in the middle to end right now.
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Apart from obvious excessive stiffness problems always save the adjustments to tiller, near the handle until the latter part of the process, preferably. Otherwise you could end up with a bow that bends too much near the handle, resulting in handshock and poor cast. You will need to judge how the limb is bending by floor tillering, or using a long string on a tillering tree whilst physically holding the handle down so it won't be able to flip itself inside out.
By the time you get the bow braced, and then bending a bit you can start to really assess the bend and where you need to make adjustments.
As always the set the stave takes whilst you are exercising it, or trying to string it is a good way to judge if it is bending too much in one spot.
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Even if the tips are aligned.... the thickness of the limbs from side to side can cause the bow to want to flip.......even thickness from side to side of the limbs is very important on highly reflex bows.....
DBar
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Even if the tips are aligned.... the thickness of the limbs from side to side can cause the bow to want to flip.......even thickness from side to side of the limbs is very important on highly reflex bows.....
DBar
So what effect do you think doing a mild hollow limb design will play into that?
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Don't know..... never done a hollow limb.....but I would imagine it would be fine if the thickness from side to side was uniform. what happens if one side of the limb is thicker than the other it will be stiffer than the other side and cause the tip to pull to the stiff side. this shows up on tight static recurves.
DBar
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Yes agreed with the above statements.a very heavy floor tiller to a medium first brace will most time fix this.fast flight string is a must imo.I've seen b55 go from a 5" to a reverse brace in short order.in the matter of 20 seconds or so.
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Even if the tips are aligned.... the thickness of the limbs from side to side can cause the bow to want to flip.......even thickness from side to side of the limbs is very important on highly reflex bows.....
DBar
So what effect do you think doing a mild hollow limb design will play into that?
I really think a hollow limb design is a pretty advanced design
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All great advice above. Just finished my first recurve and wished I had completely straightened the limbs before bending because it was a bear to get to full brace. I highly recommend stringer grooves and a stringer.
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Thanks for a the replies fellas. I will keep you updated on the progress.
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Good luck.
My best fix has been wide limbs, especially inner and middle limbs. Also, in a flatbow, leaving the limbs parallel and full width out at least halfway up the limbs, at least until final tiller. It seems the best thing to do is give the limb a REASON not to bend sideways, but only forward and backwards. At 2" wide and only a half inch thick, it's likely not to bend sideways, unless the limbs twist like mad or the tips are way out of alignment. If the limb is 1-1/4 " wide and almost an inch thick, it's going to lean just a tiny bit sideways, and flip.