Definition request.

[BigWapiti]

As I read the Bowyers Bible and this site, I run across terms that are unfamiliar in meaning, in terms of bow making.  For starters, can someone define the below two terms?

Set
Follow

For 'set' I spent about an hour digging through the "Bowyers Bible I", working backwards, page by page, looking for where they define the word.  They use it A LOT but never really define it, from what I can find - for as much as Set is mentioned, it seems it would be well defined.  The best I found was on p50, but its almost defined simply in passing. 

I have made educated guesses as to what they mean, but I still don't think I'm right.  He'p?

Thanks!

[swiftjustus]

i believe that set and follow (or string follow) are the samething meaning the limbs permanently bend towards the string as in following the string or as to mean set in place, that sort of thing. thats the way i take it to mean anyway.

                                                                                                                                 swift

[DanaM]

String follow is the the amount of bend toward the string(deflex) the limbs take measured from perfectly straight. Set ist the total deflex the limb took.
For instance you start with a stave that has 2" of reflex or back bend after tillering and shooting the limbs have 2" of deflex(toward the string) so
you have a total set of 4" and 2" of string follow. Pretty sure I have that right if not someone will correct me I'm sure

[swiftjustus]

after i left that post, i went to my traditional bowyers bible vol. 3 and it has a glossary in it, i pretty much hit the nail on the head but i figured i would post their definitions.

set: failure of any elastic material to resume its original shape because of being bent or stretched. on a wooden bow, set is deflex caused by compression of the bow's belly. if the tip's of a bow's limbs are an inch farther to the belly side than the back of the handle, the bow is said to have an inch of set.

string follow: the same as "set". offten used as "follow the string".

deflex:any curved or angular bending of the bow limbs toward the belly side.

i only added the deflex definition because it mentioned it in the "set" definition.
i hope this clears up your understanding of the definitions.

swift

[George Tsoukalas]

I agree with Dana. Jawge

[BigWapiti]

Thanks All -- I think I'll have to digest this a little, and maybe draw some pictures, but with the defs I think I'll get it figured out. THANKS.   -Mike

[DanaM]

Thanks Jawge, sometimes the terms are overwhelming but in time it becomes clear

[Justin Snyder]

String follow is the the amount of bend toward the string(deflex) the limbs take measured from perfectly straight. Set ist the total deflex the limb took.
For instance you start with a stave that has 2" of reflex or back bend after tillering and shooting the limbs have 2" of deflex(toward the string) so
you have a total set of 4" and 2" of string follow. Pretty sure I have that right if not someone will correct me I'm sure

What Dana said.   
Set is the amount of difference between the stave before tillering and what it is at the end. A bow that started with 6" of reflex and ended up with 3" of reflex has taken 3" of set. String follow is usually a result of set, it is the distance that the tips of the finished bow lie behind the handle. A bow that started with 2" of reflex and wound up with the tips an inch behind the handle has taken 3" of set, but only has an inch of string follow


http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,978.0.html
Here is a good link with all the terms you can possibly stand.  Justin

[BigWapiti]

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,978.0.html
Here is a good link with all the terms you can possibly stand.  Justin

Perfect!  Thanks!

[Gordon]

BW, don't worry about set when working with VM because it takes on so much reflex during the curing process and most of it will come out during tillering. String follow is what you should be concerned with.

[scp]

If the theory on the side profile of bow matters, we need a term that describes "the distance that the tips of the finished bow lie behind the handle" looking at the bow from its back. If "string follow" is not good enough, what would be the proper term to use?

[PatM]

It's really irrelevant. Only the builder of the bow knows what original profile the bow had. How the bow shoots is the only thing that matters. Bows aren't judged by profile.
 If you're standing there debating how to define your bows profile you're missing the entire point.

[Cameroo]

I was taught that set was any permanent deflex behind the handle that occurred from the tillering and shooting-in of the bow, and that string follow was the deflection you see immediately after shooting a bow, that straightens back out after an hour or two of being un-braced.

In otherwords, set is permanent, string follow straightens out with time.

Am I the only one that uses this definition?

[scp]

Cameroo, what you are saying might be the traditional definition. But Tim Baker appears to be using it differently. My guess is that he needs to talk about the amount of deflex from the back of bow to apply the theory of side profile.

PatM, do you really think the side profile of a bow has nothing to do with how it shoots? When I talk about the side profile, I'm mainly concerned here about the amount of string follow. Does it matter whether we "flip" the unbending tips of a bow or not?

Cf. TBB1 p.48
Bow Profile, or Side-View Shape
This is the final factor affecting the amount of energy stored in a bow, and while the explanation is somewhat lengthy, it is by far the most important.

[PatM]

Of course it matters but what you calll it is totally irrelevant.
 Try this test: Shoot a bow with the tips in an unbraced position resting three inches behind the handle and call it "set". Then change the definition to "string follow"  and shoot the bow again. See? No difference.