modeling and developing guidelines for bowmaking gives us all comparative benchmarks to share and improve from
to follow a bit better what you are hoping to do, could you give a bit more explanation of what frequency you are thinking about? would not each limb tend to set up a shock wave when returning home at its own frequency? Amplitudes being less or more noticeable?
I’ve really been throwing around my terms Willie, I haven’t thought this through all the way so hopefully someone can shoot some holes in my thinking. I’m talking about the spring frequency, assuming that bows are simple springs. Of course this isn’t true and might ruin the idea right on the spot.
I’m thinking the simplest way to measure this would be to ‘dry fire’ a limb (unbraced) from a few inches so you can measure the oscillation frequency (in other words predicting the dry fire speed by assuming the bow is a simple spring) If bows really were simple springs you would only have to hit the limb like a tuning fork but I think pulling a bit more will be more accurate.
Here’s what I think would have to hold true for the model to work. 1—early in tillering the frequency will be very high and drops as you tiller. 2—It’s possible to predict the frequency of a finished bow from the specifications, using a model from a large data pool (same as we do with mass) 3— A bow with too low a frequency judging by the model is not heavily stressed, and could be drawn farther, or made narrower, or shorter. Similarly a bow with too high a frequency is under built and will overwhelm itself.
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I think thickness would be a determinant and length also, at least length of the working section I believe. so many variables to consider. density etc.
A little off topic maybe, but could I ask? Would developing the model would be useful to bowyers of all skill levels? Or perhaps a way to investigate new designs?