Leaving a bow braced to breakin????

[D. Tiller]

Built a bow at the Classic this last year. Sanded it, sealed it and then checked the tiller again to make sure it worked right. Took it to the range and shot it about 10 to 12 times. Took it back to the shed and Greg saw that one of the limbs went out of tiller on me. I wonder if I set it down strung for 12 hours if the other limb would come around?

PS: Pappy or Greg, you seen that bow lying around the shed by any chance? 

David T

[Pat B]

David, the weaker limb or part of that limb will bend. 
    I only sweat a bow for 4 to 6 hours. I'm usually not on stand that long while hunting. As soon as I am back at camp I unbrace my hunting bow. If it is dark I unbrace it when I get out of my stand. At 3D shoots I unbrace after shooting the round.
   I don't see a need for a wood bow to be braced longer than that unless your hunting last longer.

[D. Tiller]

Dang it! Was a nice bow too!

[FVR]

Can't say that I do this.

I will work my bow but only after I have started the tillering process.  Before that the only time it's getting bent is when I am floor tillering it. 

When I'm done that bow building session, the bow is unstrung and put up.  I do handle the bow alot.  What I mean is, during the floor tillering and beyond process, I will take the bow upstairs and lay it on the table or hold it while on the couch and just look at it over and over again.  Running my hands up and down it, turning it over, set it next to the Rooster and just look at it.  Kind of telling the piece of wood "you're going to be a bow, a good bow, my bow."  Yeh, it's weird but's it's my way.

Now the finished bow gets strung and left strung all day if needed.  If it can't stay strung and keep it's weight and set, then I did not make it right.

[PeteC]

Interesting thread,but I have to agree with George and Eddie.I never leave mine braced for long till it is a bow,then I'll hunt with it, braced ,all day.I've got several bows built this way that literally have hundreds of thousands of shots through them,a couple of fishin' bows that have remained braced ,and rained on, all day long.I can't argue with success of the baby -along  method. JMO
God bless

[radius]

so the Rune Bow i'm working on right now (yew longbow, flat belly) came to full compass at about 22" draw, at 40#.  So i scraped and scraped, trying to bring it to 40# at 28".  No change.  So i left it braced a couple times for a few hours (say, 6) and even still could not bring the thing where i wanted, and it had a good couple inches of string follow.

i don't know what to do:  how do i tiller the bow to the weight i want, when it's being stubborn, without it getting string follow and without tempering the stave?

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

I allways sweat my bows, to different degrees depending to need but some kind of sweating it's allways done, most commonly the first sweat is done once I got a nice balance and bend in the limbs and usually at about 16" draw, than I give it a 1-2 hours session, usually a longer one at around 20"