Dry Fired My Bow

[DuBois]

That is a real bummer man! It was a sweet looking bow.
Thanks for the lesson on what happens with a dry fire though.

[simson]

Oh my  - that sucks. That was a really fine bow.
But I'm with Mike, if a the 2 pieces didn't hold together try the 3 piece project.

[adb]

Bummer. You still have 2 working limbs... you just need a riser. That being said, I wouldn't do it. Instead, I'd keep this bow around to show people what happens if you dry fire a bow.

[Mark Smeltzer]

I looked it over and there may be ways of fixing it but it just wont be the same and I don't have any interest in making a Frankenstein's monster out of it.  I think I will leave as is and do what adb says.

Mark

[PatM]

What was your string material?  Or are you saying the string actually jumped out of the nocks?

[Mark Smeltzer]

Pat
I use B50 and the first string I was using was 12 strand because that's what i had already for a different bow that was the same length. I wanted a 10 strand so I made one and took a few shots with it before I served the string at the nock point.  Without the serving on the nocks were loose and I lost focus for a second and the arrow fell off the string as i released....and the rest is history

[PatM]

 I think this shows that a stretchy string is actually worse in a dry fire situation.

[Mark Smeltzer]

Could be, I dont want to be the one to do all the testing though   

[adb]

I think this shows that a stretchy string is actually worse in a dry fire situation.

How? I believe a bow fails from a dry fire when the stored energy that is normally transferred to the arrow at release, is returned to the bow's limbs in the form of excessive vibration. How would the string material make a difference?

[Mark Smeltzer]

Yea, not sure I completely understand that either, maybe Pat will elaborate.

[JW_Halverson]

Ahhh! I see now, it was the arrow nock that did the dirty misdeed.  I was trying to think how the string could come off the limb nocks.  *smacks forehead*

[PatM]

A stretchy string allows way more  "bulge" of the bow limbs forward without the arrow. The string probably approaches a degree of virtually breaking in this scenario.
 Yew bows used to be known for breaking when the string broke.
Vibration might delaminate a bow but it's not going to vibrate a bow so that it severs in one spot.

[JW_Halverson]

Got evidence of that?  I would tend to belive the stretchy string would absorb the vibration like a dampener. That's why natural strings are softer sounding on guitars than steel strings. 

[Mark Smeltzer]

Pat are you saying that a stretchey string will allow the limbs to travel further away from the shooter?

[PatM]

Of course they do. That's why arm or even wrist slap is so evident.
 A stretchy string may absorb vibration but it also allows the creation of more vibration/limb movement after the dry-fire.
 A non stretch string doesn't allow the limbs any room to move.