Author Topic: Crooked bows  (Read 1679 times)

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Don Case

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Crooked bows
« on: August 10, 2013, 01:39:33 am »
I just want double check something. I'm getting the impression that as long as the bowstring/centerline runs from the tips a through the center of the handle then everything is fine. The bow can twist and bend within reason but as long as those 3 points line up it's good? Even for a finished bow?
Thanks
Don

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Crooked bows
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2013, 01:46:54 am »
The physics of bowmaking are very complicated and there are rarely clear answers to questions, but I will try to answer as clearly as possible.

Yup.
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Weylin

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Re: Crooked bows
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2013, 01:47:10 am »
Yup, that's pretty much right.

Offline Bryce

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Re: Crooked bows
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2013, 01:57:02 am »
Clatskanie, Oregon

Don Case

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Re: Crooked bows
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2013, 02:10:35 am »
Cool, I got something right! It must be all that homework
Don

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Crooked bows
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2013, 02:22:55 am »
Dog ate my homework.  Dad's peeved wondering what happened to the leftover sausage gravy. I ain't talking.
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

blackhawk

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Re: Crooked bows
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2013, 08:42:49 am »
Talk about false advertising..  >:(  I was hoping to see some serious snaky bow porn  :-\  :laugh:

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Crooked bows
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2013, 08:50:50 am »
Thats mostly a "yup" from me to. But, I have real examples of snakey bows that werent under my bench, BearG might have one to? If there are snakes swooping enough that the string leaves the body of the bow totally, it creates alot of extra torque in the limb at that spot. Im about 50% successful with snakes. It seems the best are the tighter swoops where the string is somewhere in the body of the bow for 80% of its length. 
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline rkeltner

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Re: Crooked bows
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2013, 11:30:49 am »
I found myself getting upset with a 's' shaped piece of black locust that wouldn't allow that kind of alignment, no matter how much heat or steam I applied to the stave. I could get front or back movement, but zero side to side. finally I lamented my problem here, asking for help, which came in the form of a single statement...."who says it has to cross in the center of the handle?". that brought about an eye opening realization. I had a perfect center shot bow in my hands, and didn't know it. the moral is, that sometimes out of the box, or in this case, out of line >:D, is a good thing. by the way, that bow isn't finished yet, it needs to be backed due to some imperfections on the back, but with the little bit of shooting done with the tillering string on it, it's going to be a real fast shooter. (as a final note, my 22 yr. old son has tried to 'claim' that bow when it's finished...not going to happen!!!!) so...don't sweat it if the the string falls to one side or the other of the handle.. the stave is just telling you where to lay the arrow!