Looking for info on high reflexed staves, set and string follow

[Elktracker]

I have worked a few high reflexed VM bows in the past and if say the bow starts out with 5 inches of reflex and finishes with 1" reflex would this bow be considered to have taken 4" of set? and if so I am assuming that this would cause more string follow? I am going to be starting on another character Vine Maple with pretty high reflex and I just got to wondering about this. If I have to I can tame some of the reflex with heat and im planning on heat treating the belly on this one to see if it holds more reflex on the unbraced end of things. Any info or thoughts on this would be much appretiated. The high reflexed bows I have done in the past tillered out fine and held some reflex and shot fine so im not concerned about that but just wondering if this is affecting performance in a bad way it hasnt seemed to? I will get some pics of the stave posted up here after a while. Thanks

Josh

[MWirwicki]

Not quoting any authorities however, I would only call it set if the bow follows the string past the horizontal plane of the bow.  I would say rather that your bow started out with 5 and retained 1" of reflex.  To say that it took 4" of set implies that the unstrung bow looks strung to a 4" brace height. 

[Elktracker]

Whooo came back home to a different site

MWirwick thanks for the info that is kinda what I thought I appretiate the info

 I hope to get some others to weigh in here and give their opinions, thoughts on this and any other info. I will have to scim back through the TBB 1-4 and see if I can find any info on this. Thanks again

[Elktracker]

Thanks for your input scott

[Elktracker]

Here are some pics of the stave roughed out it should make a nice bow and if it turns out to I will probably throw some snake skin on it

[Elktracker]

..Sorry about the small picture it was to big and when I resized it it is now to small but you get the picture

Josh

[blackhawk]

Nice....string her up and pull her back   

Looks good so far.  Scottd has the correct definition. Set and string follow are two different things.

[Gordon]

Josh,

Vine maple a different animal than your average bow wood. The wood is typically highly stressed when you cut it and it will pull into reflex as it dries. As you tiller the bow, it will lose much of that reflex but I don't believe that has anything to do with the belly compressing. I think the wood cells on the back are being stretched back to their original shape.

[Elktracker]

That sounds like a good theory to me I agree even though its all wood vine maple is an animal in the tension department! Thanks Gordon

Josh

[crooketarrow]

   I don't know about VM as you know I've only built one. But have a nice stave thats to you. Adding reflex as I write I'll get to it when the time is right. I found out a couple of things. I when through the same thing a long time back. Here's what I found out and do. By no means is this set in stone just the way I do my staves.
   I to have had staves that had or I have added lots of reflex (5 TO 6's) only to have disappear in set and string follow. (More so if you use heat) With excessive reflex you end up putting a lot of exture stress on your limbs when it comes to tillering. Thats all it is to it. So with 5 or 6 inchs of reflex I couldn't get any more of and inch of reflex if that when finished.
   But I found out with staves that had only and inch or 2 at the most. I could keep the reflex when tillered and might get a 1/2" to and inch of set and string follow. Most kept all  I could tiller it to stay no exture stress.  And I did flight test of 7 different  osage bows and the bows with 1 or 2 inchs of reflex or even straight all had better cast,faster,snapyer to shoot and out shot the bows built that had the 5 or 6 inchs and a couple of these bows were higher poudage.
   I ad reflex to all of my stave when green with out heat.  And never go past 2 inchs of reflex thats the number I've settled on. I also do this with white woods mainly hickory. 99% Of my bows built anymore are OSAGE or HICKORY my 2 favoret woods.

[Elktracker]

Thanks crook!

Josh

[Gordon]

Josh, I stopped heat treating vine maple that has pulled into a lot of reflex because those bows would get so squirrely on me when I did that. You really don't need it because a stave like that will likely end up with 1-2 inches of reflex when it is fully tillered.

[Blacktail]

wow,what a great topic.i have thought the same about vine..but i didnt ask because if it dont break why worry...i just try to keep simple with making bows..in the photo you posted the only spot i would have trouble with would be the little curvy spot on the top limb...it looks like it would cause a stiff spot.that is all ways fun..john

[Elktracker]

Ok thanks Gordon I will skip the heat treat then thanks 

Black tail the spot on the top limb wont be too much of a problem im figuring but the rollercoaster on the bottom limb is what will challenge me Here is the spot im talking about