Could I be under building them?

[Kegan]

I've had a few bows that were prefectly dry and well worked in durign tilelring come out with almost 3" of string follow. In both the bows were physically light, a little too narrow (that's all I had to work with) and with heated in reflex. Looking at Badger's mass formula in TBB IV, relfex bows have more mass. If the bows are already light and narrow, could my reflexing them being making things worse? Would I be better off just tempering the belly straight, or on some of the extreme examples, slightly deflexed?

[Badger]

Kegan, a straight bow that takes 1" set can very well outshoot a bow given 3" reflex that winds up even. Everything you do to add energy storage or stress requires more mass in the working part of the limb. Steve

[Kegan]

Thanks Badger . At least I know what I'm doing wrong now. If I had a bow that was to narrow for a given draw, would temepring in 1" of deflex be a bad thing?

[Badger]

Kegan, sometimes if you are too narrow you can just get more wood working, if the bow is a bend through the handle bow allready heat treating will help a low mass bow hold prfile. There is some slackfigured into allready so going a little below will usually be ok with most woods. I just can't bring myself to deflex something unless I am going to reflex it at the same time. If the bow is naturaly deflexed you can get away with less mass. Steve

[Kegan]

I had intentionally deflexed a sassafras bow before, as Tim Baker had suggested with "marginal woods" in a back issue of PA, and had wondered if the same could be applied to bows that were already low on mass by construction.

But I will have to keep working mas in mind. Giving them a more circular tiller might help too (some have had stiff tips, stiff handles, or worse- both).

[Ryano]

Kegan, are you using a heat box? If not, your wood may not be as dry as you think. I used to have the same problems with white wood bows untill I started storing them in a heat box all the time when I'm not working on them. Makes a big diferance.

[Kegan]

Kegan, are you using a heat box? If not, your wood may not be as dry as you think. I used to have the same problems with white wood bows untill I started storing them in a heat box all the time when I'm not working on them. Makes a big diferance.

No, I've never had enough materials to make a proper sized one. Would you think a simple one liek the one Dean Torges covers in his book Hunting the Osage Bow would work?

[Jbell]

Kegan, are you using a heat box? If not, your wood may not be as dry as you think. I used to have the same problems with white wood bows untill I started storing them in a heat box all the time when I'm not working on them. Makes a big diferance.

No, I've never had enough materials to make a proper sized one. Would you think a simple one liek the one Dean Torges covers in his book Hunting the Osage Bow would work?

That is the type of drying box that I have and it works well. Doesn't have to be big, just enough to get your bows in. Mine is 12" square just like the one in Torges' book. You should definately build one.