Reverse Bracing Bows

[Tree_Ninja]

Hey folks,


     I have experimented with reverse bracing green staves while curing and also heat treating while reverse braced to get some reflex.

  My question is:  Would It be detrimental to a finished, sealed bow to hang it on the wall reverse braced? (assume MC is stabilized and consistent)

 I ask because I want to make a "wall-hanger"  that is reverse braced so it looks like a bow when hanging. My thought is that he bow would take less deflex/ set and still remain shootable if stored reverse braced.

  The bows I have heat tempered while reverse braced still hold the reflex shape, and a string goes on easy when reverse bracing(with  a little tension).

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Can Reflex be considered "Set" if it is stored indefinately reverse braced?

I assume some damage to the wood fibers occurs because of shooting/reverse bracing cycles,  but would it be worse than simply unstringing a bow?

Thanks in advance

[wizardgoat]

Inducing green reflex is a great method, and prevents warping (mostly). Also works great for sinewing. I gotta think permanently storing a finished bow would not be good. If it's just a wall hanger who cares, but in my mind it would be unnessesary tension on your belly.  When you say wall hanger it usually implies you won't be shooting it

[Tree_Ninja]

Wizardgoat, it's not a terrible shooter, but the person I'm making it for may not use it very often. I was hoping to get best of both worlds.

  There isn't alot of tension on it when reverse braced (2-5lbs), since it already has some reflex, but my concerns are an echo of yours.

Maybe I'll leave well enough alone.

   

[Pat B]

Allowing folks that are unfamiliar with proper use of a wood bow could easily just take the reverse braced bow off the wall and draw it back... and that could be disastrous. You are better to leave the bow unbraced when not in use.

[Tree_Ninja]

Pat b, that was a major concern of mine. I'm planning on giving a thorough lesson on bow care. I'll just keep it as a shooter unbraced.

 Every bow I give away I give a care instruction sheet. One of the instructions says "Do not allow compound bow archers to draw this bow unsupervised and without reading these instructons"

 At least wheelie bow owners know enough to not dry fire....

[Jim Davis]

All the old references that mention this topic are death against either flexing a bow backward or stringing it backward. That's all the advice I need on the subject.