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Bows / Re: Short staves- draw length and draw weight trade off
« Last post by jameswoodmot on Today at 06:44:06 am »I’ve removed what I just wrote, let me think about this a bit the cogs are going
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Bows / Re: ECHO II
« Last post by M2A on January 10, 2026, 10:53:00 pm »Amazing work Simk. Really like everything about this one! Cept its about 10 pounds too heavy lol
Mike
Mike
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Bows / Re: First go with Black Locust - FINISHED with pics
« Last post by M2A on January 10, 2026, 10:43:36 pm »Very classy work all around. Wish i could put out work like that that quick.
Bl is not going to darken like osage, it might get a shade or 2 darker over time but no more.
Mike
Bl is not going to darken like osage, it might get a shade or 2 darker over time but no more.
Mike
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Bows / Re: Hickory flatbow
« Last post by M2A on January 10, 2026, 10:31:45 pm »great looking unbraced profile, that can be hard to do. Well Done on a challenging stave!
Mike
Mike
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Bows / Re: December 2025 BOM voting CONGRATULATIONS SELFBOWMAN!
« Last post by Bob Barnes on January 10, 2026, 09:11:25 pm »Congrats young man! Looking forward to hearing great things from you after shooting the bow for distance. 
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Bows / Re: Short staves- draw length and draw weight trade off
« Last post by sleek on January 10, 2026, 07:23:04 pm »Set only happens when a bow has too much draw weight for its working limb volume. Its not related to its draw length, even though thats what is commonly blamed for set.
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Bows / Re: Short staves- draw length and draw weight trade off
« Last post by jameswoodmot on January 10, 2026, 06:22:52 pm »Fantastic, thanks Sleek
So with the bows in the book, the length and width are listed. Lots of them are only just over an inch wide.
If I wanted to make a replica of one with very similar dimensions, the higher the poundage I make it the shorter the draw length will have to be to prevent it taking loads of set or snapping.
If I were to set the limiting factors to those dimensions, I can vary the draw length and weight within reason. Is a lower poundage at a longer draw going to give more arrow speed than a higher poundage at a shorter draw?
So with the bows in the book, the length and width are listed. Lots of them are only just over an inch wide.
If I wanted to make a replica of one with very similar dimensions, the higher the poundage I make it the shorter the draw length will have to be to prevent it taking loads of set or snapping.
If I were to set the limiting factors to those dimensions, I can vary the draw length and weight within reason. Is a lower poundage at a longer draw going to give more arrow speed than a higher poundage at a shorter draw?
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Bows / Re: Short staves- draw length and draw weight trade off
« Last post by sleek on January 10, 2026, 06:08:27 pm »Short bows... my favorite 😍
Im decently studied up on them and have made a few over the years. A couple are pretty fast. Ill tell you a few bullet points on short bows.
Short bows are not limited in their draw length and weight by nature of their length alone. Their width and amount of recurve at the tips make up for the rest of the equation.
A 50 inch bow can pull all the way to 26, even as a stiff handled bow if the handle is its smallest size, the tiller is good, and the tips have enough recurve to keep the string angle down from stacking.
It can have any draw weight you desire as long as there is enough wood in the bending section to absorb the bending stresses. This is controlled by how wide the bow is made to be. By nature of how things work, a 50 pounder will need to be twice as wide as a 25 pounder with all things equal, because two 25s equal a 50.
So, your stave width will be your primary limiting factor.
Im decently studied up on them and have made a few over the years. A couple are pretty fast. Ill tell you a few bullet points on short bows.
Short bows are not limited in their draw length and weight by nature of their length alone. Their width and amount of recurve at the tips make up for the rest of the equation.
A 50 inch bow can pull all the way to 26, even as a stiff handled bow if the handle is its smallest size, the tiller is good, and the tips have enough recurve to keep the string angle down from stacking.
It can have any draw weight you desire as long as there is enough wood in the bending section to absorb the bending stresses. This is controlled by how wide the bow is made to be. By nature of how things work, a 50 pounder will need to be twice as wide as a 25 pounder with all things equal, because two 25s equal a 50.
So, your stave width will be your primary limiting factor.
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Around the Campfire / Re: It followed me home thread
« Last post by osage outlaw on January 10, 2026, 05:55:36 pm »Well Pat, they are currently taking up about 1/4 of my living room. For now, that’s where they are going to stay.
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Around the Campfire / Re: It followed me home thread
« Last post by Pat B on January 10, 2026, 05:50:46 pm »That was a big elk. What are your plans for the antlers?