Author Topic: why is my bow twisting??? (fixed)  (Read 5370 times)

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Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #15 on: April 04, 2013, 12:43:59 am »
The grain is straight, the bow is straight, only when i try to bend it does the bow warp. Like when you are trying to brace the tension side of a maple limb. What i might do is make the belly oval on this one, (pretty much flat with rounded corners,) pike it to keep the weight and see if it shoots good. If not, it's overdrawing time  >:D

Zion, you cant overdraw OS!!! But if you try....get it on video!  But first make a bow out of that thing  ;)
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Offline Zion

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #16 on: April 04, 2013, 01:07:53 am »
haha IKR Carson! That's why i think it has great potential for warbows!!

it's funny, it was becoming to be whip tillered besides the twisting thing so i did exactly what you said yesterday night and heat treated the sides of the tips. Didn't seem to have worked too good tho. I think i'll do what i said below and flatten the belly then pike it. I know a place where i can get a thousand more pieces like this!  O:)
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Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #17 on: April 04, 2013, 01:31:56 am »
Still think it's twisted. How did you work the limbs down??? Did you split the stave??
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Offline Zion

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #18 on: April 04, 2013, 02:26:46 am »
I couldn't split this piece because i needed almost the whole size of the stick for the bow. Why would it matter anyway? I've made a few bows that were completely twisted and they always untwisted when i drew them.
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Offline Jodocus

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #19 on: April 04, 2013, 04:16:04 am »
I've had this with several staves of the not too many I've made. I just tend to think that, well, the wood probably isn't  the same consistency all around then. And I just try to cut it so that it bends well. I won't be or look symmetric anymore, but it'll hopefully bend straight. That's what counts. Kind of treat the twist just like one that came up because you didn't cut it out straight, even though you did.
Its kind of hard to let go the idea of straightness with a stave like this, though  :'(
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #20 on: April 04, 2013, 07:37:46 am »
That pith should be centered with the high spot on the back. With the pith coming in from the side and heading to the tips that almost tells me the back isnt centered on the crown. Does the bow twist mainly to your left as your gripping it?
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Offline CherokeeKC

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #21 on: April 04, 2013, 08:11:37 am »
Like you said Zion the cross section is almost circular.  From the pics I believe the belly isnt flat enough on the limbs to guide the bow where and how you want it to bend.  Maybe the stave was too small diameter for type and weight bow your shooting for?
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #22 on: April 04, 2013, 10:11:39 am »
If the string doesn't track straight down the middle of the bow on a Warbow then the side tracking will be exacerbated.
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Offline Zion

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #23 on: April 04, 2013, 12:49:12 pm »
Thanks for the help guys.

Actually Pearly it twists to my right when i try to bend it. The back has to be centered on the crown because the bow is the original size of the stick in the handle area and limbs.(i didn't take any meat off the sides when roughing out.)  I think i must've just mistreated the tips, the stave should not have had any misalignment issues and it does not to this day, except for when i try to bend it, (it's f'ed up i know but that's what's happening lol.)

So Marc you're saying that the alignment has to be perfect from the get-go, right? So it doesn't become more extreme?

I'm gonna go cut 2 inches off each tip and flatten the belly a little. It'll be cool if it'll bend straight then...
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Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #24 on: April 04, 2013, 02:11:10 pm »
I couldn't split this piece because i needed almost the whole size of the stick for the bow. Why would it matter anyway? I've made a few bows that were completely twisted and they always untwisted when i drew them.


Then you have been lucky. I don't know if you will understand what I am going to attempt to explain, BUT if you understand how, and what way the wood twists you would adjust the belly of the bow to accomadate it. Otherwise you would tiller the bow so looking at the belly it would slope off to one side when at rest, and when coming to full draw it would align.

VMB
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Offline Zion

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #25 on: April 04, 2013, 03:57:31 pm »
Yeah i know what ur saying VMB. The bow i made like that, though, was a hawthorn bow that twisted in it's roughed out shape so i didn't need to figure out which way the grain twisted anyway.

Doesn't matter now tho, 'cuz i just piked the bow and flattened the belly and heat treated it. Seemed to be a success, decent tiller, decent weight, decent set, i'll know what i have to do next when i shoot it tho.
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Offline Zion

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Re: why is my bow twisting??? (almost done)
« Reply #26 on: April 04, 2013, 04:12:46 pm »
So it only has a little misalignment right bow but it's nothing i'm worried about. I think i'll heat treat it once more. The unbraced pic is right after drawing it about 4 times.
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Offline bow101

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #27 on: April 04, 2013, 04:17:51 pm »
Zee,  My maple bow is a Twist, the limbs twist opposite of eachother, but it seems to cancel out and shoots ok.... :o
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Offline Zion

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Re: why is my bow twisting???
« Reply #28 on: April 04, 2013, 04:20:44 pm »
The one really twisted one i made shot like s**t to be honest, (the hawthorn one) which is why i never really finished it up. Good job making yours shoot good!
The secret of life is learning to make your own luck.