Does string follow lead to set?

[blackhawk]

I agree it wood too tom...that scenario was just an extreme example to make my point. Now if you took the difference between a bow with 3" of tip deflection due to set from its original position and only 1" on another identical at rest profile,then you prob won't be really able to tell the difference from shooting alone. Some folks don't really care about building a better bow and that's fine with me,but there are plenty other people who do and realizing the two as different helps to make them make a better bow. And lots of folks like to keep data and experiment each time they make one,and separating the two helps determine what's going on specifically,and helps to record your information.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Exactly my friend..........

[Josh B]

Now to finish my thought after being so rudely interrupted by work.  As I understand it, string follow doesn't lead to set, it is set.  It is just compression deformation as opposed to both tension and compression deformation.  It is important to know the difference so that you know what aspects of the design or method need changed.  I view it as an indicator of the design flaws.  If I have what I consider string follow then I know that the back is overpowering the belly and adjust accordingly.  If is excessive set that doesn't eventually pull back, then i know that I need to adjust width, length, moisture levels or whatever.  Its just another way to listen to the wood.  If you don't differentiate between the two, you're missing an important part of what the wood is telling you.  Just my opinion,  Josh

[sharpend60]

Gun Doc,
Your idea seems to be inline with my initial thought but...

Where does re-action wood fall into your understanding?

In my case, the bow in question is re-action wood from a know tension string wood. It also has a high crown...

It would be interesting if some Vine Maple veterans chimed in. I, in my personal experience, I have not met a wood so reactive to tension or compression aspects in the same stave.

Even with a superbly tillered limb it will still bounce back a great deal... That being a inherent trait of the wood itself not a design flaw...

[Josh B]

That's a good question that i don't have a good answer for.  I have long heard of the extraordinary properties of vine maple, but I have never made a bow from it.  I see it all over Western Oregon when I go out that way, but after talking to Keenan about the ridiculous laws in the state, I decided that it wouldn't be worth the risk to stop and pilfer a few staves.  Vine maple seems to be pretty rare in Ks as well.   Just guessing, I would think that string follow would be unavoidable in a wood with such properties.  Just as some sort of set is unavoidable in any wooden bow.   The question is not really how to eliminate set or string follow, but rather how to minimize it.   The main point I was trying to make is to minimize set, you must first determine the cause of it.  That is why I think it is important to draw a distinction between string follow and set.  Performance wise, there is no difference to speak of.  A bow works on the principle of opposing forces (tension and compression) . To be continued......

[Josh B]

Stupid smart phone screen ran out of room   Anyway back to my point.  If you have two bows, one shows three inches of deflex due to set and the other is flat before stringing, but has 3 inches of string follow after being unstrung , they will perform similarly, all else being equal.  This is because the bow with the string follow, although appearing to have more reflex, is not storing any energy until the string follow is taken up.   In order to store energy, it has to have compression forces opposing the tension forces.  That is why you hear people say that the profile of a freshly unstrung bow is the important one.  A bow with stringfollow is a bow with set , pretending that it doesn't.  I hope that helps,  Josh

[sharpend60]

Like I had mentioned earlier, this is what I understood string follow to be... thus prompting the title of the thread.

Many posts throughout this thread define it somewhat differently however...

Which has raised entirely different questions.
All of which have merit... but speak to a different concept or idea all together.

My original concept has addressed but  number of interesting ideas have been brought forth.

Perhaps the title has changed to...

"What is string follow and how to create it"

[Bryce]

Josh if you ever feel the need to pull over and hack off a piece of VM. No ones gonna care. It's a weed around here. But you seem to be a more law abiding citizen, unlike myself 

[Josh B]

That seems to be the nature of these type of debates.  They sort of wonder around a bit and get temporarily side tracked here and there, but i have to agree, a lot of interesting takes on the subject.  It will probably never be completely determined what the definition of string follow is, but at least we know what a few of us mean when they use the term.

Bryce-lol! I'm not above hitting the shoulder and chopping down a few saplings, but I drive a semi and most coastal states, be it east or West, will use any excuse to squeeze a driver for fines and penalties.  So, its just best that I behave when in hostile environments.  That being said, I still have to fight the urge to hit the shoulder and whack a few down. . Josh

[Bryce]

Well if your ever in the neighborhood let me know 

[Josh B]

Well if your ever in the neighborhood let me know 

I will do that!  Just to be sure, what part of the state is your neighborhood?  Most of my travels out there take me along the Columbia or across US-20 .  Josh

[Bryce]

I live right off the Columbia river hwy 30.  45 mins west of Portland.