Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on April 30, 2018, 09:42:01 am
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First time I accidentally left a bow strung overnight, is it toast? It had about 2" of set when I unbraced it.
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That sounds like too much set for leaving a bow braced overnight, I have done that a number of times with no ill effects. If you can't reheat the bow maybe you could just lock it up in the reverse position for a few days and see how it reacts. The bow was likely over strained to start with. 1/2" that recovers later might be expected. That is one of the reasons I went back to simple less strained profiles. Keep us posted on how it responds later, did it recover some on its own?
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How much did it have prior to leaving it braced? How many times was it shot prior to leaving it over night? I've done it a few times and it never mattered. But, that was on longer osage flat bows made to take the abuse of hunting.
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I posted right after discovering it. It's straightening out now, that's 20 mins or so. I'll keep looking at it.
I think it had about 1". It's a new bow, been shot maybe 20 times. It's a basic 67" Pacific Crab selfbow.
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I'll be curious about its behaviour the next 300-500 shots. I put a "u" in behavior just for you Don :)
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Did Spellcheck wag it's finger at you ;D ;D
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Nope, it wont recognize that when the setting are on U.S. English. The company I work for is owned by Americans, but corporately ran by Canadians. So I see that goofy stuff all day!
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Goufy, what do you mean goufy ;D ;D
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DC...It takes me up to a week or more of I'll call breaking in self bows with repeated long bracings[at least 4 hours] sometimes twice a day as if hunting and around at least 200 to 300 arrows before I'll put my John Doe on the bows I make here in evaluation as far as set goes.
It will reveal itself.You'll just have to keep shooting it.Their not made of glass.They can handle it.
Taking a speed check in the beginning and after breaking in reveals the total truth to me,along with very little set.
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When I think I'm done tillering and start shooting the bow in I won't think twice about leaving one strung for 8 to 10 hours. Of course there's more set then if you were to only have it strung for 10 minutes. but I base it more in performance than visuals. if it can't handle 8 hours being strung that I tend to dismiss it as a poor bow
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That's one of the disadvantages of living in a wet climate. I make more bows than I can shoot. I've got 30+ bows hanging on the wall and some have only been shot 50-100 times. It's what comes from liking to make them more the shoot them. In the winter it can rain for weeks and I get 4 or 5 bows made and never get out to shoot them. I have a target in my shop but shooting 10" gets old pretty quick.
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DC, I know what you mean about liking to build more than shoot. I don't get a lot of arrows through mine all the time either. But when I build them they get a thorough workout. I keep the bow strung all through the tillering process and torture it with long holds at full draw. Sometimes over a minute. If it takes set I feel like I under designed it or tillered it badly. I use to stress about holding at full draw. Not anymore, I figure they have to be built to take it.
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I keep the bow strung all through the tillering process and torture it with long holds at full draw. Sometimes over a minute. If it takes set I feel like I under designed it or tillered it badly. I use to stress about holding at full draw. Not anymore, I figure they have to be built to take it.
That's interesting, I'll keep that in mind. I've avoided it like the plague. I do leave it strung during tillering but that's kind of minor compared to a minute at FD.
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If you can't reheat the bow maybe you could just lock it up in the reverse position for a few days and see how it reacts.
Stemmler and all his contemporaries including Saxton Pope warned stridently against trying to take set out of a bow by straining it backward. It only makes spongey wood.
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I do like Ed I leave my bows strung for 4-6 hrs at a time when close to finale tiller , the osage bow I built for hunting season last year I left strung for 11 hrs with no issues the tiller never changed, I think marrying the string like that helps to show me the true tiller, I have over 1200 arrows threw that bow and has never changed but I never hold at full draw more then a second or two , I'm not strong enough to hold much beyound that.
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Agreed. Backwards stringing is not good for it. I found that out the hard way with a 30 year old red oak board that I was making a bow from for a young friend. It was a mistake I still remember. Broke the stave/bow and my heart.
I've left a bow strung overnight once or twice by mistake. But it was ok.
I leave a bow string for hours while hunting. But unstring when done.
I don't have the patience to leave a bow strung for hours while finish tillering. I don't see the point anyway. I've pulled a stave so much on the rope and pulley. To each his own.
Jawge
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Jawge, why would you unbrace one when finish tillering except to do the area near the tips? I would be bracing and unbracing about every 3 minutes
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Badger,
I don't usually unbrace except to work the tips or unless the stave is not braced high enough yet.
But when done working on an unfinished bow I unbrace. I don't leave it strung thinking it will be easier to hit full draw.
When done shooting, I unbrace.
Jawge
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I don't leave them strung unless hunting or tournament shooting, roving, etc. it gives mine more set! But that's me. Pretty much a snap shooter also. I just don't see the need and think it's not good for the bow. Max three hrs and let them rest is my rule. Arvin
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I brace mine hunting sometimes for two periods per day at 6hrs at a time...Usually comes back over night...If not, well that's the life of a bow...String follow happens and I have learned to accept it...
Don
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I agree, Don. If they take set because you left them braced for 4-5 hours, then I think that answer is clear also.
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My hunting bow that I took to Africa did take some set . I did not throw it away though. It's still my hunting bow. Arvin
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Arvy, in my opinion this kind of "quick" set is really nothing more than what the bow would have taken a few thousand shot later. A guy just speeds up the inevitable. If a bow took on a bit of set because it was braced over night and was treated normally after that, I dont believe it would take on anymore set as it ages.
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Arvin, the humidity is pretty high in Africa. That may have contributed to set. Jawge
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Kinda depends where you are in Africa. I'll bet the Kalahari Desert is pretty dry.
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True. Jawge
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Bet you were thinkin' Johnny Weissmuller's Africa ;D ;D