Can you explain to those of us who don't make bows what follow and set is - and what the ideal would be please?
Stave makin :) and a bit of tillering.
- Thread starter dwardo
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Apologies.
There does seem to be some debate in the bowyer world as to the exact definition of each but here is how i have always understood it.
If you have a bow that is completely flat when unstrung it has 0 inches of string follow and 0 inches of set.
If you shoot the bow in or during tiller you notice that the unbraced profile of the bow is no longer flat and looks like it has an invisable string on it then the bow is starting to take set and string follow. This is measured by putting the bows back against a flat surface and measuring how far the tips are away from that flat surface. Most self bows will take a little set, say and inch or two but more can start to impact on perfomance.
Now the set/stringfollow difference, If a bow starts out with 2 inches of reflex (bend away from the archer) then whilst tillering/shooting the bows unbraced profile looses the 2 inche of reflex and becomes straight then the bow has 2 inches of set and 0 string follow. If the bow gets worse and ends up with 3 inches of set then it will have 1 inches of string follow.
Clear as mud? If so i will get some pictures up with an explanation. This bow started flat, took an inch of set which i heated out.
There does seem to be some debate in the bowyer world as to the exact definition of each but here is how i have always understood it.
If you have a bow that is completely flat when unstrung it has 0 inches of string follow and 0 inches of set.
If you shoot the bow in or during tiller you notice that the unbraced profile of the bow is no longer flat and looks like it has an invisable string on it then the bow is starting to take set and string follow. This is measured by putting the bows back against a flat surface and measuring how far the tips are away from that flat surface. Most self bows will take a little set, say and inch or two but more can start to impact on perfomance.
Now the set/stringfollow difference, If a bow starts out with 2 inches of reflex (bend away from the archer) then whilst tillering/shooting the bows unbraced profile looses the 2 inche of reflex and becomes straight then the bow has 2 inches of set and 0 string follow. If the bow gets worse and ends up with 3 inches of set then it will have 1 inches of string follow.
Clear as mud? If so i will get some pictures up with an explanation. This bow started flat, took an inch of set which i heated out.
Thanks for that - so if you wanted to put a reflex deflex on the bow - you'd heat in the deflex and set would give you the deflex.
Yup thats it 
Some call it setback in the handle. Heat treating can be a magic bullet but i have only found it to be of real use during early and mid tiller. If the design is wrong or just wrong for that wood for the wood the set will usually sneak back in.
Some call it setback in the handle. Heat treating can be a magic bullet but i have only found it to be of real use during early and mid tiller. If the design is wrong or just wrong for that wood for the wood the set will usually sneak back in.
Thanks for clearing that up dwardo, that really gives me a whole new set of words in my books ^^, I'm currently also trying to make some bows, just started on my first but sadly I have made some mistakes while shaping the bow, that had to do with poor looking/ grain visibility, and twist in grain which sadly I overlooked, I dont think its gonna survive tillering but will post some picture on here soon, perhaps you could give me some tips ^^
yours sincerely Ruud
yours sincerely Ruud
Just re-read your question and my reply lacks a little more info. Set at any point is somthing to be avoided if at all possible, the less the better. Set is crushed belly cells that dont recover. For most of us mortal bowyers it is hard enough just to keep it to a minimum and heat can help with this.
If you want a reflex deflex you heat in that shape at the start and hope to keep most of it at the end of tillering. Most of the R/D bows i see are laminates and the shape is glued into the bow very early on using clamps and forms.
This bow is not playing nicely so its one last heat treat and belly temper. This time i decided i had enough of holding the gun all the time so i made a jog out of clamps to hold it for me
The result a nice toasted belly
Some more roughin out. Of the three on the right the left is a nice straight clean ash stave for a member here with a hige draw length for his height, the middle is yew and the right another nice clean ash
Then there is this snakey monster to drive me potty whilst the other bow re-hydrates and others dehydrate. This should be JonathanD `s
The result a nice toasted belly
Some more roughin out. Of the three on the right the left is a nice straight clean ash stave for a member here with a hige draw length for his height, the middle is yew and the right another nice clean ash
Then there is this snakey monster to drive me potty whilst the other bow re-hydrates and others dehydrate. This should be JonathanD `s
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Took you long enough to spot it LOL! Been waiting for that shoe to drop for ages
Lovely work Dwardo, hadn't realised there was such a science in it either. Seems my select tree, cut, shape, string, twang idea has some flaws in it
Just cut and died some silk for the backing. I dont suppose anyknow knows of anything you can cut polly varnish with that wont make a dye run? neat varnish its ok but its harder to get right. Silk seems pretty hard to get recently especialy in the colours i like and at a decent price. More pics to come when glueing the silk.
what does it tell you to clean the brushes with? Acetone or white spirit for a guess.
Try a bit in white spirit and see what happens. I guess if it doesn't work it'd be acetone.
Will have an experiment but its hard to recreate a test bit without going through the whole process. I should make some samples as i do this for furture playing. Its just hard to get a nice first coat if its thick,,,, warming it first might help i guess we will see tomorrow..
......Seems my select tree, cut, shape, string, twang idea has some flaws in it
Not at all...That just about sums it up...
Dwardo...do you ever use flame to belly treat...I got bored, like you, using the hot air paint stripper, and found scorching over coals a much easier option...Even a gas flame might be preferable...Just a thought...
Campin' this weekend, might even get round to scraping a stave or two...
