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Author Topic: How much set should a selfbow have?  (Read 9511 times)

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Offline LimbLover

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How much set should a selfbow have?
« on: May 25, 2012, 04:12:11 pm »
Hello Everyone!

This is my first post here, though I've been hanging around for awhile. I'm a big fan of the folks on this site and their bow-making abilities. I'm gradually shifting to making selfbows and recently purchased a u-finish hickory kit to get started. I love the bow and have been constantly experimenting with it. I don't leave it alone.

It was 48lb @ 28" and 71", but after shooting it for awhile it now stays in the set (proper terminology?) position to a degree. Similar to a string follow bow. It was really starting to bug me. I read that shortening the bow sometimes fixes this issue so I removed an 1.5" from each side to make it a 68" bow.

The finish is currently drying. Was I too hasty? How much set should be expected for an all wood hickory bow?



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Offline toomanyknots

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2012, 04:20:30 pm »
Golden rule: Under 2 1/2" is fine.
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"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2012, 04:27:36 pm »
Dont forget set is measured from your starting point. If you started with 2" of reflex and now your bow is 2" from the wall when you put the back up to it.  You have 4" of set. The total distance the limb has weakened since you started tillering it.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Gordon

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2012, 04:29:04 pm »
Ideally a bow will take little or no set, but that takes a lot of knowledge and practice to accomplish consistently. As a practical matter, 1 1/2" of string follow is no big deal unless you are competing in a flight shoot. Shortening a bow will not decrease set, it will likely have the opposite effect because doing so adds additional stress to the limbs.
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Gordon

Offline Will Carothers

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2012, 04:33:26 pm »
i 2nd Gordon, in my experience set it actually increased by piking (shortening) the limb, but if you wanted to know how much set a bow should take, it depends mostly on the wood, and the climate its in, i live in South louisiana, and hickory makes a good bow, but the set on it is usually much more than that of an osage or other wood good for a humid climate. so if where yoi live is very wet or humid, that could contribute a lot to the set of the bow.
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Offline LimbLover

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2012, 04:36:17 pm »
Quote from: Gordon on May 25, 2012, 04:29:04 pm
Ideally a bow will take little or no set, but that takes a lot of knowledge and practice to accomplish consistently. As a practical matter, 1 1/2" of string follow is no big deal unless you are competing in a flight shoot. Shortening a bow will not decrease set, it will likely have the opposite effect because doing so adds additional stress to the limbs.

Oh no!! I hope it doesn't increase substantially. I think I was around 1 1/2" of set. In retrospect, I guess I shouldn't have been so impulsive. :o
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Offline LimbLover

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2012, 04:37:06 pm »
Quote from: Will Carothers on May 25, 2012, 04:33:26 pm
i 2nd Gordon, in my experience set it actually increased by piking (shortening) the limb, but if you wanted to know how much set a bow should take, it depends mostly on the wood, and the climate its in, i live in South louisiana, and hickory makes a good bow, but the set on it is usually much more than that of an osage or other wood good for a humid climate. so if where yoi live is very wet or humid, that could contribute a lot to the set of the bow.

I live in Michigan. Quite humid.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2012, 04:42:56 pm »
I live 60 minutes straight east of you. How much set did you have prior to cutting the length down? 
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline LimbLover

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2012, 04:46:12 pm »
Quote from: PEARL DRUMS on May 25, 2012, 04:42:56 pm
I live 60 minutes straight east of you. How much set did you have prior to cutting the length down?

I believe it was around 1.5" but I am estimating. I didn't even know what that was prior to yesterday.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2012, 04:48:37 pm »
Thats not bad at all if you started with a flat board. Plan on adding maybe another 1/2" or so after shooting in the snipped off version. I would be happy with that from a board type bow.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline LimbLover

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2012, 04:50:14 pm »
I appreciate that!

Are you from the Lansing area Pearl?
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2012, 04:51:37 pm »
Perrinton/Rainbow Lake area
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline RobWiden

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2012, 04:58:01 pm »
   If it really bothers you, you could put some reflex back into it with dry heat. Think twice before you do this though, because it would also add draw weight and need to be tillered back to the weight you want. Adding reflex also adds stress but hickory can stand a lot, so it shouldn't be a problem.
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Offline Del the cat

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2012, 06:38:27 pm »
Nearly all bows take some set, it sometimes doesn't look like it because they maybe started with 2" of reflex.
IMO if it takes no set at all then the wood isn't being worked hard enough and the bow isn't performing at optimum.
Any spring, even an automotive valve spring or suspension spring will take a little set over time.
If you build an 80" 30# @24" bow it will have no set but it will be as fast as decision from a government department.
I'd also rather have a little set than a broken bow.
With it up against the wall three fingers or less between belly and wall is fine in my book.
Del
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Offline Weylin

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Re: How much set should a selfbow have?
« Reply #14 on: May 25, 2012, 07:23:24 pm »
Quote from: Del the cat on May 25, 2012, 06:38:27 pm

If you build an 80" 30# @24" bow it will have no set but it will be as fast as decision from a government department.

 ;D Hahaha
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