How much set is “too much”

[Fox]

I’ve been really struggling with set on all my stiff-in-the-handle bows they have taken a good bit of set and it really annoys me!  I can’t get them to keep any of the reflex I put in.... also how do you all measure set? From the belly or the back?


-Fox

[Pat B]

A 60# bow with 2" to 3" of set could still be a 45# bow capable of killing your quarry. If you learn the trajectory of your bow with 3" of set you can still be accurate. Set in a wooden bow is a given and not a sign of failure. How you control it and deal with it as a possibility will determine how your bow will turn out in most situations.
 There are a few things  that cause set. One is wood that is not dry enough, another is over straining the bow as it is being tillered and another is the correct design for the wood used. All of these thing are controlled by the builder.
 Having your limb tips out beyond or at the same plane as the back of the handle is the ideal situation but even then set will have been a part of the process. Don't make bow's set or lack of set as a sign of defeat. Learn from what you did to get to that point and try your best to improve your design, your tillering process and your ability.

[bassman]

Their are many threads on here that will help you to minimize set. Go back, and read all of them. That will help you out quite a bit. I have accumulated a mountain of knowledge from posts on here from some of the best bow makers  in the world. Follow their tips. It has made me a much better bow maker from when I first started.

[Fox]

Okay thanks you two... so the bow I just maid I think I overstrained it while tillering never drew it past target weight but I think the tiller wasn’t perfect for to long before I got it fixed... it’s 55 ish at 27” 66” long 1 3/4 at fades straight taper to 1/2” tips..  elm, I put about an inch of reflex in the tips... it’s now got 1 3/4 “ set on one limb and 2” in the other .. the set is pretty evenly distributed over the whole limb

[bassman]

I knew Pat B would be along. Sharp at bow making ,and willing to share his knowledge. The Badger, Mar St Louis, DC, Simon, Pat M., Arvin ,and 3 or 4 dozen others also share their knowledge. That is what makes Primitive archery a great place to come to when you need help at bow making. After that your work ethic, and passion will take over, and you will become better,and better at it. You will make bows, and break bows along the way, and learn from it.

[bradsmith2010]

  there is a chart in Volume 4
it shows a bow can shoot well with 1 1/4 inches of set,,
shooting through a chronograph will help you decide if the set is too much,.
if your bow has a little set but shooting hard, then its not an issue,,
for me its not the set, but how hard the bow is shooting,,hope that makes sense,,
or set does not always indicate that the bow is not shooting with decent cast,,
   for example the bow is shooting 150 fps at 3/4 inches of set, then tillered out to 32,,1 1/4 inch of set,,,,shooting 151 fps,,
   the bow has more set but shooting harder,,  so there are lots of variables,, keeping set to a minimum is always positive,,if I can get a bow to shoot a hunting weight arrow,,at a reasonable fps, I dont care how much set it has,,you can always go up in weight to get more cast,, if thats what you need to feel confident,,
   you might like to experiment with some sinew,, you bow will not follow the string at all if done well,,

[bassman]

I have learned on here that ELM LOVES HEAT. You can put your bow back on a form with more reflex ,and give the belly a good heat treat, or, and this is only if you want to, clamp the bow in a vise in the middle of the handle with a gallon jug of water hanging from the tips ,and deep  heat treat the belly again. Make sure your bow limbs stay straight in the process. when you let the limbs cool ,and re hydrate your bow will have 3 to 4 inches of reflex. Then tiller it again. Either way should pull some set back out of the bow.

[Santanasaur]

Fox you wouldn’t measure set from the belly or the back.
Weylin explains set and string follow really well   https://youtu.be/S0n1LphKl6Y

You can’t measure set in a finished bow without knowing where the stave started. For example, a stave that starts with 2” deflex before tillering and maintains the profile after tillering has 2” of string follow but 0 set. A stave that starts with 3” of reflex but ends up with 2 has 1” of set, even though it doesn’t follow the string. For perfectly straight staves, set and string follow will have the same quantity

[bushboy]

I work with alot of elm....not all staves are the same.some don't really even heat treating and others are noodle without.tight rings,wide...it doesn't seem to matter .sometimes the colour of the the wood(yellow-pinkish tones)can sometimes indicate that the wood has good elasticity or maybe not.a bend test can help but is not fool proof either.staves from the same tree can have different properties even..a bow can be well built and still carry alot of set...after all its made of wood.

[bownarra]

Yes I agree totally there is a lot of variation in the quality of our elms as well.
Number one reason your wood wasn't dry enough or what you already said tiller not being perfect for too long during tillering. Aim to get your tiller absolutely dead on straight awy.....until it is don't pull it

[Allyn T]

Fox you wouldn’t measure set from the belly or the back.
Weylin explains set and string follow really well   https://youtu.be/S0n1LphKl6Y

You can’t measure set in a finished bow without knowing where the stave started. For example, a stave that starts with 2” deflex before tillering and maintains the profile after tillering has 2” of string follow but 0 set. A stave that starts with 3” of reflex but ends up with 2 has 1” of set, even though it doesn’t follow the string. For perfectly straight staves, set and string follow will have the same quantity

Finally! That is the best definition of string follow vs set that I have read yet!