Red oak, set...can you get around it?

[makenzie71]

Of course I'm building board bows, not from a proper stave, but I'm using good pieces...I only really get irritated when I have a PERFECT grain and I get the same results.  The bow I'm working on right now is still 1.75" at the widest, and comes down to .625" at the nocks. Backed with bamboo.  It pulls 58lbs at 29" (my scale may be reading about 5lbs light, though).  Tiller is smooth, stiff ends, so I know a lot of the force is put mid-limb.

My issue is that every red oak bow I've made...and I've made lots of different kinds...has developed set.  I had one have so much that it seemed to pull the recurve out of the ends.

I've never tried belly tempering.  Could this help?  Is it just a part of working with red oak?

[radius]

you can't belly temper it now...not from my experience.  It causes the backing to come off.  I mean, you COULD do it.  Remove the backing, clean it all up, temper the belly into reflex...but why not just make a new one?

[youngbowyer33]

well from what ive heard red oak isnt great for high poundage bows, so i would try lowering draw weight, but im guessing you want to keep that high.How long are your stiff ends?you could try shortening them(i think?).Also, since alot of the force is put mid-limb, try making it bend more near handle i guess is what i would try.You could also make a bow a bit longer so you would have more limb length to work with. And i dont really know anything about belly tempering so i cant actually answer you there. and i have also heard that red oak does take a fair bit of set/string follow. just my thoughts, hope it you find an answer

[George Tsoukalas]

My board bows are selfbows and take less set than stave bows.  If your bows show < 2 in don't worry about it. Set happens. Jawge

[HoBow]

That's great jawge. Set happens- that should be the PA shirt moto

[makenzie71]

It's almost always less than 2"...my limit is 2.5".  If it gets past that point, draw weight gets taken down and the ends are trimmed until set is tolerable.

I wasn't clear...I wasn't really wanting to fix THIS bow.  A made bow you can't do much with.  I'm just looking for things I might try with the next.

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Red Oak bows do not have to have string follow !!!!!!

This one in particular is 66" ntn 58 # @ 27 " and has settled in perfectly strait, ...can ask Craig "Westcoast bowyer " that was here and I took this particular bow out for a hunt with him

........Nicely tempered and cotton backed

[radius]

manny's just showin off

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

well from what ive heard red oak isnt great for high poundage bows, so i would try lowering draw weight, but im guessing you want to keep that high.How long are your stiff ends?you could try shortening them(i think?).Also, since alot of the force is put mid-limb, try making it bend more near handle i guess is what i would try.You could also make a bow a bit longer so you would have more limb length to work with. And i dont really know anything about belly tempering so i cant actually answer you there. and i have also heard that red oak does take a fair bit of set/string follow. just my thoughts, hope it you find an answer

  .....it's just when I see post like this that make me feel like answering some 

[George Tsoukalas]

Manny, all bows take set. Not all show string follow. Jawge

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

Ho yeah George I did temper this one into 2" of reflex, ...so 2" of set, 0 string follow 

[radius]

well from what ive heard red oak isnt great for high poundage bows, so i would try lowering draw weight, but im guessing you want to keep that high.How long are your stiff ends?you could try shortening them(i think?).Also, since alot of the force is put mid-limb, try making it bend more near handle i guess is what i would try.You could also make a bow a bit longer so you would have more limb length to work with. And i dont really know anything about belly tempering so i cant actually answer you there. and i have also heard that red oak does take a fair bit of set/string follow. just my thoughts, hope it you find an answer

  .....it's just when I see post like this that make me feel like answering some 

all good, bro...you are a singular talent on this site and i have learned lots from your posts.  Love to try guava.  Maybe in the new year you wanna trade for some pacific yew?  I just pulled in a bunch of logs.

[Dauntless]

+1 on belly tempering

If you backed red oak with Bamboo, wouldn't it be overpowered and crush the belly more than necessary?  Tiller shape is a big one too.  Any set close to the handle is greatly multiplied near the tips.

It's almost always less than 2"...my limit is 2.5".  If it gets past that point, draw weight gets taken down and the ends are trimmed until set is tolerable.

I'm curious as to how this can work.  I thought set was fairly permanent and that working a bow down to a lower draw weight would actually increase set.  This has to do with the tillering maxim of never pulling a bow more than its intended draw weight.  I might be missing out completely on some concept here.

[Josh]

I recently made a red oak board bow that took no string follow...  Heated around 3 inches of reflex at floor-tiller stage so it took 3 inches of set with zero string follow.  This was my father's bow.



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[makenzie71]

If you backed red oak with Bamboo, wouldn't it be overpowered and crush the belly more than necessary?  Tiller shape is a big one too.  Any set close to the handle is greatly multiplied near the tips.

This is my first time to back red oak with bamboo.  It seems to be holding just fine, but I've only fired a few arrows with it thus far. I really like the aesthetic combination so I'm hoping it'll hold up.

I'm curious as to how this can work.  I thought set was fairly permanent and that working a bow down to a lower draw weight would actually increase set.  This has to do with the tillering maxim of never pulling a bow more than its intended draw weight.  I might be missing out completely on some concept here.

Look at the profile for a bow with lots of set.  It'll have a crescent shape, with the tips being the highest points from level.  If you trim the ends, the highest points will be closer to level.  Lightening the pull and reducing the draw length help prevent set from increasing.  The ones I have to trim down I usually sell off to be youth bows.