Author Topic: Question for all experienced bow makers.....  (Read 4421 times)

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Offline artcher1

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Re: Question for all experienced bow makers.....
« Reply #15 on: April 17, 2009, 08:01:00 pm »
One good way to keep an eye on the "breaking in" process is to check the nose (beginning tension) of the bow. I do this by taking a weight measurement at 3" past normal brace height (5 1/2" for me). One thing that I've noticed is that I'll always lose 1# of nose weight. This effects cast but does not effect final draw weight. Once that nose weight and positive tiller stabilizes I don't expect the weight of the bow to change.

So if you're losing weight as you claim then it's time to start digging for answers.

ART B


Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Question for all experienced bow makers.....
« Reply #16 on: April 17, 2009, 08:09:22 pm »
Patrick, if you keep it fifty years and shoot 500,000 arrows through it, I would assume that at some point it would begin to break down, but most of us won't ever shoot a bow to death. Or if you abuse it by leaving it strung day after day at a 10" brace height in humid conditions without a good finish, it will probably take more set and lose some weight that way. But in general, I agree that a broken-in stable bow should stay pretty much like it is for a long, long time unless you do something wierd to it. I've never had one that had a noticible drop in weight over time, and some I shot thousands of times. If you haven't completely broken the bow in by exercising it while tillering and leaving it strung for awhile, it might drop a couple pounds after you shoot it a while, and/or the tiller may change.
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Adam Keiper

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Re: Question for all experienced bow makers.....
« Reply #17 on: April 17, 2009, 08:15:41 pm »
Draw weight is somewhat variable, based on temperature and humidity.  How much that varies largely on where you keep your bows and the level of moisture resistance the finish has.  If you keep your bow in your climate controlled house, there may be little, if any draw weight difference through the seasons.  And if you've used a good finish, you can take it out and shoot in the rain, probably without any temporary weight loss.  But, if kept in the garage, and lacking a good moisture barrier, the draw weight may bob up and down several pounds as conditions change.  Draw weight is variable too, on immediate useage.  A freshly braced bow can pull 1 or 2# more than after shooting a couple dozen arrows.  (But not always.)  The key is measuring the weight against the relative conditions.  I prefer to weigh bows after they've been stored indoors (never a problem) and have been braced and shot at least several times.

How much weight the bow looses during shoot-in depends largely on how much you've exercised the bow during construction.  If you've drawn it a few dozen times along each increment of length after every round of wood removal, and particularly if you've allowed the bow to remain braced at full draw once or twice or more overnight near final tiller, then by the time you shoot it in with a couple of hundred arrows, you'll loose virtually no weight.  The less you've exercised it, on the other hand, the more weight you stand to loose and the bigger the chance of the tiller changing during shoot in.  

Offline JackCrafty

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Re: Question for all experienced bow makers.....
« Reply #18 on: April 17, 2009, 08:36:58 pm »
Any critter tastes good with enough butter on it.

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Offline Pat B

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Re: Question for all experienced bow makers.....
« Reply #19 on: April 17, 2009, 08:58:02 pm »
While I building a bow I exercise the limbs after each wood removal. I believe this helps the wood removal register so it eliminates any unexpected weight loss. After I have completed the tillering I will brace the bow and "sweat" it for a few hours. I have left them strung for up to 4 or 5 hours, similar to being strung while on stand or at an archery shoot. Generally after I have finished the bow, the weight remains the same.
   Humidity does have some effect of some woods, mostly whitewoods but other than that, they remain stable for lots and lots of shots.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC