Golden Rule for Set?

[DC]

If you want, and I do this sometimes now since my accident. I’ll place 2 large block on my work bench and rest the ends of the bow on them. Then take an Irwin quick grip clamp and start clamping the handle down and after so far the limbs are bent pretty good and sometimes whiles it’s clamped I’ll go ahead and make some corrections right then and there. Watch the limbs come round as I rasp.

That's a good idea, I may try that. My vice is in the way though.

[George Tsoukalas]

Well, anyway whitewood bows need a little more TLC than osage. IMHO.

When I work on osage I just follow the same procedure.

This is the way I do it and have done it for years.

I go overboard  in not straining a stave before it becomes a bow.

First, the wood must be dry. I have a moisture meter and use it  lot. I use it right through the stave's first stringing and even beyond.I don't feel the need to use one of those hygrometer type meters.

Second, I long string tiller after floor tillering. Even at this point I am cognizant of not straining the stave. I check weight and never go over target weight by more than 5#. I look for around target weight at ten inches of long string movement. Not tip movement. I don't get hung up on the length of the long string. I've used the same one for years. It is about 1.25 inches the length of the stave.

I like the long string because I can see tiller and more readily determine when the stave is ready for the short string.

When I get  10 inches  of string travel, good bend in the limbs and target weight (or so), I string it for the first time with the short string at a low brace of 2-3 inches as measured from the back of the handle. 

BTW at 10 inches and target weight I figure this puts the stave at 10-15# our final target weight. I broke my share of overweight staves at first stringing which is why I use this method.

Third, as I tiller I gradually increase brace height until I get around 7" from the back of the handle. Further, I don't pull to target weight until I hit 25" for a 26" draw. Gives me enough to finish sand, etc.

My bows end up with 2" or a little under of set. I'm happy with that. I measure set by putting the back of the bow up agains a wall and measuring tip deflection.

Much more on my site but I felt like typing.

http://traditionalarchery101.com

Jawge

[Badger]

  Do you have 2 1/2" set or 2 1/2" string follow. Your performance is excellent. I have never seen a bow with 2 1/2" string follow hit even close to 170 with 10 grain arrows.

[cool_98_555]

Badger,

Stave started pretty straight and I did no reflexing of any kind (I love the straight limb longbow so much...just my preference.  I never put any reflex or recurve in my tips).  So that would be 2 1/4" of string follow.

[bradsmith2010]

Steve my old bow,, is close to 60# at 28 inches,, it will shoot a 500 grain arrow about 170,, slow for its draw weight,,
but the 500 grain arrow doing 170 is ok for hunting,,and of course  a 600 grain arrow is slower even,, but still hitting hunting speed for me,, so I guess my rule is if the arrow shoots hard enough to get the job done,, then the set would be acceptable for that application,,
in the last 20 years I have learned to make bows more effecient,, when I look at the bow Pope and Young shot, it seems they had to up the weight to make up for the string follow or set they had on the bows,, just thinking out loud,,

[Bryce]

  Brice, I was shooting one of your bows last weekend, a 70# osage, extremely narrow profile. I couldn't get it all the way back. Beautiful bow and very well tillered. I was kind of surprised at how narrow it was for the poundage but not shocked. I have a 55# that is similar but only about 3/4" wide.

Hmm I’ve made a few of those but I’m assuming it the one
I made for a gentleman that live near yah. I’m terrible with names. Either way I’m glad
To hear it’s still doing work:)

Well, despite being torn on what to do about the bow, I decided to go out to the garage and throw a few arrows through the chronograph.  I mean the real issue with set in a bow is loss in performance, so I was curious.  Keep in mind that this bow is around 72# at 29" and is quite snakey.  I first used a 505gr arrow 3 times and got an average of 188fps.  Not bad...but i've done better.  I also had a 610gr arrow so I shot that through the chrono and I got an average of about 180fps.  This packed more punch at the target and was a lot quieter, albeit being slower.  This bow is more efficient with a 600gr arrow, surprisingly.  I also shot a heavier 670gr arrow, and I got 173fps.  That is a lot less efficient than the 610gr arrow out of this bow.

I was not sure whether to heat temper the belly of this bow before, and to be honest with you, i'm still not sure.  It's got a lot of snakey character to it and it has 2.25" of set, but it is so smooth...just a joy to shoot.  I'm not sure how many fps I would gain if I heat treated the belly...do you?

If you like the way it shoot and it hits what you're lookin
At I would just leave it as is.
You could heat treat and get some pro’s from that but it’s up to you.
My draw is 27”-28” so I usually heat treat around 24”-25” just so I can sand off that
Very top layer of wood, and that’s just more for aesthetics than anything.

[bradsmith2010]

I think it shoots great just leave it,,,
 

[Selfbowman]

For me as little as possible . I like none but not often achieved. 1-1/2 is good for a novice bowyer I would say. If you reflex the ends and get 1-1/2 inch set on what was straight limbs you end up with a reflex deflex bow that shoots with good speed and a smooth draw on say 67 and longer bows. But to each his on preference. Arvin

[Badger]

  I think the point is not so much that you get a little set or not as much as it is that you learn ways to recognize it early and respond to it. Learn about the options you may have in responding to set when it first starts to occur. I rarely ever get a bow with no set but I always try for it.

[BowEd]

Many times at least with most archers as we get older we're not able to handle the poundage that we did when we were younger.I think that's called shootability too.It's a goal of mine anyway to make bows of less poundage with close to the same fps numbers for ease of shooting.Tillering them with less set helps accomplish that no matter what the design.

[Bryce]

If you want, and I do this sometimes now since my accident. I’ll place 2 large block on my work bench and rest the ends of the bow on them. Then take an Irwin quick grip clamp and start clamping the handle down and after so far the limbs are bent pretty good and sometimes whiles it’s clamped I’ll go ahead and make some corrections right then and there. Watch the limbs come round as I rasp.

That's a good idea, I may try that. My vice is in the way though.

Quick example don

[Badger]

  Bryce, I have similar device, mine has roller on the ends and a crank in the middle I can just wind it down. I used to tiller it while it was cranked down, even more so on heavily reflexed deflexed bows. I crank it down to about what it would be at brace.

[Bryce]

We’re in the middle of moving and I have to pack up most of my tools decided to make a bow while we wait for the house to sell. But I know exactly what your talking about! My main block have the rubber roller things I jacked from a boat trailer:)