Author Topic: Reflex Quad Lam ELB Offset String Alignment?  (Read 1636 times)

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cool_98_555

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Reflex Quad Lam ELB Offset String Alignment?
« on: July 13, 2016, 02:12:09 pm »
I have a quad lam bow that I'm currently trying to tiller.  I glued in about 4" of reflex right at the handle area when I was gluing up the lams.  Osage belly, wenge and padauk for the core, and bamboo for the back.  Laminations are parallel.  After tillering it for awhile, I was able to get it to a 1" brace, and looking down the belly, the string is not tracking directly through the center of the bow.  Looks like it is about 1/8" or so to the left of the center.  Now I could use this to my advantage and designate a top limb so that the arrow is situated a little closer to the string, but I don't want to run into any future tillering problems.  I made a mistake lining up the tips AFTER I glued in the reflex, when I should have done it before.  After that reflex was in the bow and I lined up the tips, I thought it was tracking through the center, but apparently it wasn't.  I didn't realize at the time that it would be hard to line up the tips when there is reflex in the handle and the string is 4" above the back of the bow!  Anyway, I don't think I can heat the misalignment to correct it, so any ideas on what I can do to correct it?  Or perhaps I should just continue with the offset string?  Being reflexed, it is hard to string the bow, especially when the string is not exactly through the center.

Offline Pat B

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Re: Reflex Quad Lam ELB Offset String Alignment?
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2016, 02:36:11 pm »
Pics would help.   You can tiller the limbs to move one way or the other but with only 1/8" off I'd keep going and see where it goes.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

cool_98_555

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Re: Reflex Quad Lam ELB Offset String Alignment?
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2016, 02:49:23 pm »
I'm not at my shop at the moment, but I'll try to post some pics later when I get there.  Thanks for the reply

Offline Badger

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Re: Reflex Quad Lam ELB Offset String Alignment?
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2016, 03:30:22 pm »
   The low brace height puts a lot of pressure on the limbs and exagerates any minor alignment issues. I would get it to full brace as soon as you can before I evaluated it.  Make sure you have your limbs the same thickness on each side to avoid twist. After bracing you may be able to tiller one side of the limb or the other to tweak the alignment a bit.

cool_98_555

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Re: Reflex Quad Lam ELB Offset String Alignment?
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2016, 03:32:11 pm »
This bow has a rounded belly, so it's difficult to determine if one side is thicker than the other sometimes.

Offline Hamish

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Re: Reflex Quad Lam ELB Offset String Alignment?
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2016, 09:03:48 pm »
Its really important with highly reflexed ELB, to exercise the limbs thoroughly before trying to string. Like Badger has mentioned low brace height is not good, as the bow sometimes wants to twist. I usually exercise  it with a loose string, on a tillering tree holding the bow on the balance point/ rest so it won't turn/flip. Slowly stretch the limbs, work out any gross imbalance in limb strength and hinges, then exercise to brace height.
 Now the bow can usually be strung safely. Despite taking all these precautions, sometimes you still get limb twist and string alignment issues(esp on narrow bows). Check the unstrung bow to see if the centreline was laid out straight, or if the stave has taken some sideways set.  A combination of simultaneously slowly drawing the braced bow the opposite direction of the list and back can help correct the problem(providing you have gotten it to a decent tiller in all other aspects besides twisting /listing). Usually the bow will start to correct providing the limbs were evenly reduced into a balanced arch on the belly. You are essentially training the twist out of the bow before pulling it too far and getting a sideways set.
 If you haven't done an even job, either with the layout, or with the cross section of the belly along the length you will need to reduce wood on the opposite side of the twist along the limb/limbs. Keep exercising the bow frequently.

Initial layout, and limb design can minimise a bows susceptibility to twist. Narrow bows that taper directly from the handle to the tips in a straight, pyramidal line are more likely to twist.  This can be avoided by leaving the first 4-6" as wide as the handle, then taper to say 3/4", at 6-8" from the tips, then down to 1/2" or 3/8" at the tip.