1st brace

[bowmo]

No long string for me, can't stand them. I use a homemade press, a sort of imitation compound bow press. Best way to do it in my opinion. I've made enough bows that I know when to throw them on there and get about whatever weight I want at around 20", once I balance the limbs properly. I really don't know why anyone would do it any other way.

dan



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[Marc St Louis]

The way I see it. When bracing a bow for the first time if you are aiming for 50# @ 28" and you were to have a first time braced weight of 5# over your final draw weigth then that would give you a finished draw weight of close to 100#. That's figuring a conservative estimate of 3#/" over a 22" power stroke. That's why I don't worry about such things. In anycase pretty well the only time I use a  long string is when I'm making a recurve or a very heavy bow.

[George Tsoukalas]

Marc, my apologies for not explaining this process well. Here's the scenario. I am still using the long string now. The bow is not strung yet. I am checking weight with my trusty hand held bow scale. When I get target weight or 5# over with the long string at 10 inches for my 26 in. draw that puts the final potential draw weight of the strung stave at 10-15# over.  The relationship is there. I've tested it. That's not the question. LOL. Jawge

[Badger]

Dan, I use an almost identical set up on my recurved reflexed bows, I have a crank in the middle that I crank down on the handle with. There is still some guess work involved. I personally don't think enough importance is put on the draw weight at the first bracing. Most of us usually build similar bows as has been mentioned several times allrerady and experience can tell us when, but the big question mark come in when we are using diffeent length bows and different weight bows than what we are used to. I have never met anyone that could accurately guess a draw weight when working unfamilar territory. Steve

[Justin Snyder]

George, is your long string just barely long enough to get over the nocks? Almost like stringing at a brace height of 0?  I used one once that was to long and when I strung it I had no weight left to work with.  I think it had something to do with the long string making the string angle bad and it started to stack. This made the bow seem heavy until I put a short string on which didn't stack the bow and I was under weight.  Maybe you could show us a picture of your long string on a bow at appropriate length. I like the meathod, I just have a hard time if I don't string with a short string soon enough. Justin

[Pappy]

I know Jawge will love this but I use a long string just long enough to go from end to end
and use a tillering stick.I pull it down a inch at a time working out all the kinks as I go.After
I get it down 4 or 5 slots I will take the stick out of the vice with the bow on it and set it
up on a flat surface and look it over and measure the tips off the table and from there on I
will even the limbs until I get the tips about 6/7 in. off the table and about even.Then I go to a low brace about 3 or 4 in. and go to the tillering board. After I get it out to about 10 in. I will go to full brace.I like to get it on the tillering tree
as soon as possible.The real long string really messes me up and I want plenty of weight left when I get it on the tillering tree.
   Pappy

[DanaM]

Good thread guys, I've had trouble making weight perhaps it was
the long string was to long eh.

DanaM

[GregB]

Good string, very interesting reading!

I'm doing it like Pappy...we floor tiller to first get the limbs bending constant just shy of the tips. Of course as already discussed, this is by feel from a poundage standpoint, and visual in evening up the limbs. Then going to the tillering board with the long string and as Pappy said, slowly working your way down to a low brace height. We try and leave the bow on the board as short a duration as possible between scrappings, and also stroke the limbs 30 times or so to get the wood to accept the changes from scrapping. We don't pull the limbs past our previous slot on the board when working them. After getting to a low brace we go to the tree, working the limbs between scrappings and never passing what we want the finished weight to be. We then get to final brace height after about 10" to allow the accurate weight to be shown.

I can understand how a bow out of what you're normally making would be very difficult to work by "feel". I don't know how you could floor tiller a bow with a desired finished weight of 80-100#.

[tom sawyer]

Thats easy Greg (100lb bow thing).  You take a normal bow blank, make a string for it and its done.

[tpoof]

Interesting thread!  One thing is certain,,,, there is more than one way to skin a cat!

[DanaM]

There's them cats again Fire up the grill!

Dana

[Badger]

I think one of the main points of the thread is finding methods that will allow you to brace the bow not too soon as to crush the belly wood a bit, and obvoisly not too late and come in light. If I first brace the bow and it will draw to target weight at about 22" I am a happy camper.

[Justin Snyder]

I know I will be changing the way I do things after watching the way Pappy and Greg do it.  I will never use a step through brace for the first brace again.  I have visibly seen the damage caused by putting more pressure on the top limb while doing this. I keep telling myself that if I am carefull it can be avoided, but I am convinced I am lying to myself.  Justin

[Pappy]

22 in. is cutting it a little close for me I like it at about 15 in.But of course I am only shooting for around 26 in. draw.And yes justin I always use a stinger at least until is is almost out to full draw.
   Pappy

[George Tsoukalas]

Badger, you and I agree on the importance of knowing when to brace for the first time. We also agree on not hitting full target  weight until around 22 inches. I often don't hit it until 24 or 25 inches and shoot the bow in for the final 2 inches. Gives me sanding room. Let's give credit to Jim Fetrow. He is a proponent of that method. I no longer pull to full target weight asap. No need for it. No need for a quick bracing either. But to each his own. All we can do is present our view points. :)Jawge