string follow

[chuckp]

After bracing and shooting my hickory, when unstrung, I have quite a bit of string follow. I can then manually straighten the bow  by applying pressure against the deflex. The bow becomes straight again.  Should I dry heat temper the belly to get more "spring" or just leave well enough alone.

[Josh]

I would just leave it alone and start on my next one....  Bending the bow backwards is not good for the bow after it has been tillered/shot in.   If it shoots good don't worry about the stringfollow and try to keep the follow to a minimum on your next one.  Hickory is notorious for taking string follow.  Anything under 2 inches is okay.    

[Mark Anderson]

In my experience (which isn't much) the only time I feel that could happen is if the wood is not dry enough. Hickory tends to take some set but a little is nothing t worry about. bending it backwards though and having it come back straight seems like the wood is a bit wet. How long has it been drying?
Mark

[chuckp]

I agree it does act like it's a bit wet. To tell the truth, it hasn't been drying for a long time. I would say I cut it down about a month ago and have been working on it off and on. I've completed about 4 hickories in this time period. Maybe I should just leave it alone for a while and start roughing out a new one.

[Hojo]

From what I have seen, a month is too fast for hickory to dry---even if it is roughed out.  I'd give it another month or two. 

[denny]

Any white wood like hickory can develope string follow when only a month cure.You could put the bow  in a corner and let it dry some more. I reverse flex my bows all the time and never have had any damage, except popped a handle once or twice.As a manner of fact, you could stretch out the bow across a couple of saw horses and tie a gallon milk jug full of water on the bow( reverse bow) and induce reflex. let dry for a couple of days. Then let it set for a couple of weeks . You could back the bow at this point if you chose too.Hickory sucks up water like a sponge. I make a lot of board bows and have the wood kildried and I have had 8% go to 22% by changing the location of the wood. Hope this helped.  If your bow was seasoned, I wouldn't recommend the reverse jug method. I have tried to straighten bows after they developed set, and they always go back to string follow. Denny

[chuckp]

Would backing the hickory do any good in preventing set? I wouldn't think so. The humidity has been very high and I don't have air conditioning. Maybe I should look into putting together some type of hot box on a timer. I'm starting to accumulate hickory self bows with no end in sight.

[gmc]

Get it dry, put the bow into about 1.5 of reflex and heat treat the belly. Only risk at that point is being a little underbuilt but you can take the bow back down to your target draw weight if it makes you feel better. After you've done this don't bend it the wrong way  . I bet you'll be a happy camper afterwards, at least more satisfied with your result.

On your next one, give it more time to dry. Hickory needs a little more attention in some areas but get it dry, keep it dry and it will shot with the best of them, I promise.

gmc
 

[Pappy]

What gmc said is just what I do and I do it after it is tillered out.Also a hot box for Hickory is a great idea if you don't have ac,I just leave mine by the ac duct in the summer. Another thing,you can't seal it to much once it is dry and finished.If I am working on Hickory in the summer ,I will tiller in 3 or 4 sessions and  and put in a dry place in between. You can't seal all the moisture out but you can help  slow it down a lot.     
   Pappy

[denny]

A/c dehumidifies the air, great place to put your bow wood, If your allowed too. My wife wouldn't care for that too much. Denny