My first bow & String follow

[Knocker]

I shared my first bow with you all last July.  The bow is made from osage, 55lb @ 28".  5 months later, it has developed a lot of string follow.  It's probably my own fault as I couldn't wait until it had a finish on it before I started hunting with it.  I just wrapped it in camo tape and have spent a lot of rainy humid days in the field and taken lots of practice shots. 

I know many of you will just say "Make another one", but I am attached to it as it's my first, and I think I can still learn something from it.  I was looking at Akila's beautiful new recurve and was wondering if my bow could stand the same treatment.  Wouldn't steaming in some recurve help with the string follow?  Or would a better alternative be dry heat to just straighten the bow?  I would appreciate your thoughts (especially you Pappy as you do so much steaming) and your tips/suggestions if it is worth trying.

The first photo is Akila's bow to show what I am considering.  The next two are mine.

Thanks,
Keith
 



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[NOMADIC PIRATE]

steaming curves on that bow as it is would only put more stress on the inner/mid limbs, you'll probably will end up with the same ammount of follow and structuraly weaker wood in the limbs.

what is done is done, you might wanna try tempering the belly. that might help a bit.

[Pappy]

I don't know if I would do that much to it,but turning up the tips wouldn't hurt.I wouldn't
steam it now.I would use dry heat.If it was mine and I was going to do anything I would flip the tips,then put it back on a form with some backset pulled into it[Be careful when bending it backwards to go easy] then heat treat the belly,get it hot enough to just start to change
the color a bit and try and do it even over the whole limb.Then let it cool for about a day still clamped.Then put it in a good dry place for a day or 2 then seal it up.It could just be wet and that might help.The flipping of the tips will off set the sluggishness  that the string follow has put
in it.Some will say it is to late after it has been done but I have had pretty good luck in
at least helping one to stand straighted by doing this and straighter will perform better.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.It will also pick it up a few pounds so if it needs
a little fine tillering you can touch it up some.
   Pappy

[George Tsoukalas]

Congratulations on your bow. You want to mess around with your first one? Jawge

[adb]

Hi,
Looks pretty darn good to me, for your first bow!! I'd leave it. Remember, perfection is the enemy of good. I've ruined a few bows by just "tweaking it a bit more" to make it "better."  It's your first... leave her be!

[George Tsoukalas]

More specifically you want to mess around with your first bow because someone told you or you read that it had too much set? In the words of Paul McCartney, "Let it Be". jawge

[Gordon]

I've not had much luck removing set after the fact - at least not with the woods that I use.

[adb]

Why do some people get so bent out of shape about set? A little bit of set, or string follow, is a GOOD thing. Makes the bow much more forgiving and softer to shoot. Loss of cast will be negligible.

[snedeker]

Just how much set does it have?    If I had been making bows for six years and decided to fool around with a deflexed bow from Year 2, Project #8, that might be a plan, but not the first one.


Actually, I just did the former over the holiday with a hickory number made in 2003.  66" long, out of the sling it had 3/4" set, 65#/28".  Over a few months it went to 2" set and dropped to 61#.  unheattreated hickory in the late summer.  Last Dec., I dry temperred the belly on the outer 2/3 of the limbs. leaving a little of that cenral deflex for a bit of an r/d feel, and gave the tips a little extra bend.  Also thinned the tips a bit.  In my seond year of bowyering, I had graduated below beg toe tips but they were still a little ungainly compared to more recent projects.  This put the tips out 2" past the handle. With excersize it settled in with the tips 1/2" out reflexed beyond the handle, and sent up to 68#.   Time will tell how it holds up.  I didn't mean to work in on your thread so much, but since it was so relevant, I thought you might like to hear about it.

Dave

[brian melton]

      As I told you over the phone the handle is the place to attack....it is the only place that has not seen bending stress. From looking at the handle on your bow it would be very difficult as there is some thickness to deal with. I have taken set out of D bows, and even obtained small amounts of reflex bending at the handle....my opinion. 


Brian

[Knocker]

Thanks for all of your responses. 
Brian - I was wondering if you would still think handle bending after seeing how thick it was.
Snedeker - The photo shows how much set.  It's not braced - the string is loose...   
ADB3112 - Good to hear your thoughts about set.  I LIKE the way the bow shoots, and after all the input, am thinking I'll leave her alone until I at least build a second shooting bow.
Pappy - Thanks for the informative answer.  I might eventually try your method, but experiment with steaming on a few new ones first.
Thanks Jawge and NorthShoreLB.  You all have convinced me.  I'll leave well enough alone and keep practicing with her.  I'll get going on all the great wood that Brian helped me harvest.

Thanks again everyone.  Great advice.

Keith

[Pappy]

I agree with you just shooting it ,and building another,nothing wrong with a little set.You just seemed so determined to do something I was telling you what I would do if I was going to try something,If it were mine I would shoot and enjoy and build another.By the way nice job on your first.
   Pappy