Underlay,underlay

[DC]

I'm making a yew bow and the string marks(dings) the wood on the belly side of the tips. I'm thinking about an underlay but looking through the pictures here I haven't noticed many bows with underlays. Is there an alternative that I'm missing?

[PEARL DRUMS]

None of my yew bows dent on the belly? Even the static that contacts 3-4" of belly.

[dragonman]

Ive seen chinese horn bows use pieces of leather where the string contacts the limb

[sleek]

I have made underlays, I got the idea from lebhuntfish. He showed me that use the underlay with the rings edge grain gives more strength per weight and looks amazing. I have dont over and unders on the same bow.

[PatM]

Can you show us how it's denting the bow? If it's just compressing your string grooves maybe they just need to be relieved a bit more where the string is bearing on them.

[DC]

Can you show us how it's denting the bow? If it's just compressing your string grooves maybe they just need to be relieved a bit more where the string is bearing on them.

I tried to take some pictures but they just didn't show up the marks. I use a timber hitch with a double wrap on the bottom and the wrap puts a little ding in the bow. I don't think it shows to anyone but me but I matter. I have been making my tips narrow so I don't have any side grooves. The groove is in the overlay. Would there be any danger in making the tips triangle shape(from the end) with the triangle point aimed at the belly? I would round off the points of course.

[simson]

Here is an example of a horn underlay with string groove:
http://primitive-bows.com/fancy-boo-backed-erc-4627-no-51/

[Hamish]

Damn Simon, your bows are seriously badass. Always great artistry and attention to detail, fine tips. That yew recurve on your site is another  good example of your underlays.

[Bryce]

Get a good strip of horn. Sand both matting surfaces plumb,  use a heat gun to shape. Then glue that baby on. Clamp. Wait....and shape.

[BowEd]

Yep.Maybe making loops on both ends of the string would be easier.

[DC]

Simon/Bryce  That is what I was aiming for although this bow isn't a recurve. I use pet store chew hooves for tips and have a lot of thin pieces left over. I may try that.
 Beadman  You may have hit on the root of the problem. It's the timber hitch that causes most of the dings. I have had no success putting the second loop on a Flemish string. The loop is fine but I seem to miss the length every time. Maybe it's time to try an endless. Flemish just seems a little more artsy or something.
Thanks everyone

[PatM]

 Are they ending up too long or too short? Just untwist the loop and either advance or back it up the amount you are off by. The amount of overlap  necessary to make it hold isn't too demanding of being perfect but you can always make  things a bit long to allow more adjustment.

[DC]

Too short, the story of my life . It seems that the twisting uses up more string than I figure. I guess I'll put some more time into it. I have a little arthritis in my thumbs so I can only twist for half hour or so. Takes the fun out of it. If I drug myself up so it don't hurt I fall asleep. Feel more like Grampa Simpson every day

[PatM]

It should only take about 5 minutes of twisting. Are you counter twisting the whole bundle or something?

[DC]

Nope just the loops and overlaps. It probably only would take 5 mins with healthy hands. I'll sort it out. How much overlap do you use? I use about 8" or so but i'm a belt and suspenders kind of guy. For quite a while my strings were stretching and I thought it was the loop slipping so I made the overlap longer. Then I discovered that it was the timber hitch. I've sorted that with a double first wrap(if that makes any sense) but I left the overlap on the loop at 8".