Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on October 03, 2015, 10:05:16 pm
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I had a strange thing happen today. I did a little tillering on my new bow and worked on the handle a bit. When I strung it and held it up it looked like the string alignment was way out. I thought I must have done something when I was tillering. I was just about to steam some bend into it but I stopped myself and rechecked the alignment. It was fine. I closed my eyes and grabbed the bow and held it up as if to shoot. The string was way off to one side. I double checked the alignment and it was OK. I decided that the handle shape must be wrong so I started rasping. It's feeling better but I've still got a bit to go. I'm on about my 20th bow and I have never had this happen before. Is this a common thing? Do you have any hints as to getting the handle to fit my grip? It's not like I'm making a form fitting pistol grip or anything, it's just limb turning into fades turning into a handle like 99% of the bows on this site. What would make it feel so odd?
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Maybe you shaped the handle so that you held the bow at an angle instead of relatively straight.
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One side of your limbs is being reduced more than the other.
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You figure just bracing it is twisting the limbs enough to mess up the alignment?
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Why not? A bow bends according to the way it handles stress placed upon it. If things aren't actually balanced in line the bow will seek out its own line.
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It's just no matter which way I look at it, the string looks aligned. It's only when I just pick it up to shoot I have to adjust my grip to rotate the bow a bit so the string centers up. This string alignment thing has always given me fits. You can always get the string to go through the center of the handle by turning the bow a bit
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How does it shoot?
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It seems to me that it is either that you formed the handle out of alignment with the limbs or, like Pat suggested, the limbs are uneven thickness causing the miss alignment when stressed(bracing adds stress). Just because the handle feels right in your hand doesn't mean the alignment is correct.
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Maybe you shaped the handle so that you held the bow at an angle instead of relatively straight.
I'm sorry, I was sure I responded to your post. I must have forgotten to push "POST". Anyway, that was what I thought was going on but now I'm doubting myself. This is my twisty stave http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,54261.0.html and I'm now thinking that it's the twisted/bent section that is causing my grief. I followed Simpson's advice and left the inner part of the curve thicker but that area is twisted so it just wants to go sideways. I don't think I can stop that. I tried taking pictures but they didn't turn out that well(shiny white sapwood :D) Maybe you can see something? Any advice?
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A full picture braced and unbraced showing alignment would no doubt help answer you question.
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The bow has a little reflex so in the unbraced picture(the second) I ran the string down the back.
Oh crap, I turned the bow upside down when I braced it. Let me know if you want me to sort it out
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Shoot it.
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It doesn't look that far off. I would probably do a bowyers knot on the bottom limb and 1 side nock on the top limb and that will do a small correction in the alignment.
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Just curious, but if you hold it loosely when shooting, does it want to rotate in your bowhand upon release or during the draw?
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I haven't shot it yet, gotta sneak a couple more lbs of it. With a stave like this it's real tough trying to decide where to remove wood so I'm going SSSSLLLLOOOOWWWWW.
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I can't tell anything by the pictures, DC. What is the brace height? Jawge
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It was 5", I've increased it to 6. I took a few of shots with it. I hit the target. It felt a little sluggish but I wasn't at full draw. It didn't do anything surprising so I'll just keep on keepin' on. I've rasped a bit more on the handle. At least now when I pick it up it's pointing in the right direction. It's 40# at 26 1/2". I'm looking for high 30's at 27 1/2 so I think it's shoot it for a while and see what happens.
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Often, those kinds of alignment problems are not as bad when you get to full brace height, which for me, is around 7-7.5" from back of bow to string. Jawge