Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: ShinneryOak on November 09, 2009, 09:58:28 am
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Tip overlays seem pretty popular in the bows posted here. I don't want to start a war here but just wondered how they affect performance. There's a lot of emphasis in what I've read on keeping limb and tip mass as low as possible but overlays increase the mass. I guess they also keep rings from being cut through on selfbow backs. They are definitely pretty but are they worth it? The only way to know would be to chronograph a bow before and after overlays.
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What little if any you give up in performance you get back in longevity of the string.
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What Dano said,plus it allows you to narrow and thin the tips,so they probably don't weight any more than all wood. :)
Pappy
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yeah in my limited experience with selfbows, I have noticed that i can make the tips very narrow when I add self nocks and run the string grooves across the back of the bow instead of just side notches on a bow without tip overlays. Without the tip overlays, the string will not stay in the grooves with a self nock that narrow. (for me anyways) If anything, I believe you can actually end up with LESS mass if you correctly thin the tips with the tip overlays. Just my 2 cents... :) -josh
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good call, Josh.
I put overlays on almost every bow i make, but let me see...the oak bows i make this year didn't get em. I used some of the oak as overlays on yew. With yew, you basically have to add overlays, especially if the bow pulls anything over 40# or so: the string digs right in to the sapwood and can bite a chunk right off. And yew is so light that the mass in unnoticeable.
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There's also the pin or post nock which has worked well for me and is a walk in the park to make compared with grooves.
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If you have tip overlays on you can reduce the tips evenmore with no risk; that might save you more weight than you'd put on with the overlays! Besides the fact that I like to look at them, I don't think there is a necessity to have them on (except on yew), even if you use FF flemish strings.
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I only add anything onto the tip for decoration really, all my own bows have self nocks. I'll put on horn for decorative purposes if the bow is for someone else, but I don't think it's actually needed.
The actual force on the nock is just in shear, there is no leverage so it doesn't need much timber.
Each to his own, and they do look pretty.
Same thing goes for grips, my bows are just smooth timber, but some folk want leather.
Del
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Del, it's right what you say, and I can enjoy every sort of finish from plain wood to fully painted!
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so far i've never painted one, i'm a woodgrain fanatic. and i don't go for handle wraps or even arrow rests on stave bows. i know lots of guys go into a huge ordeal for the handle, and they look great, but i can't get into it. same with snakeskins. BUT...i think tip overlays are often the way to go.
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Man them are some beautiful tips.I like them a lot. :)
Pappy