https://www.virtualbow.org/

[Don W]

Is anyone using this program? Thoughts and comments if you are.

I can't figure out what the expected input for the width is.

[scp]

[ I guess you missed this in the other thread. Do not get offended, as I am not implying anything about your abilities. ]

I would not buy a six digit price tag farm tractor to tend my tiny 4x8 raised vegetable garden. But I would definitely buy the best hand tools I can afford. For most hobbyists here, even TBB1 is not particularly recommended. Just get Jim Hamm's 84 page booklet and a sharp hatchet, and go for it.

As for "matching" the working limb thickness profile with the front width profile, just look for a graceful line of bent limbs, as bow makers have done for thousands of years. If you like to look at shapely girls or boys, you will have no problem there. Just make sure you are looking at a person mature and powerful enough to handle you.

Now I am looking for a way to appreciate the limb thickness changes of an un-stringed bow and figure out how beautiful they will be when the bow is braced and drawn. Any ordinary language heuristics would be more than welcome. Thanks.

[mmattockx]

Don,

I have downloaded virtual bow, but have not used it. I have been using super tiller and David Dewey's spreadsheet for my bow design work. Willi has spent time with virtual bow and will hopefully have an answer for your question.

If you want a copy of super tiller and/or DD's spreadsheet send me a PM with your email in it. Both are Excel based programs and there is nowhere I know of to download them from easily.


Mark

[willie]

Just in case someone finds this page in the future......

Stefan has Woodbears spreadsheet on his server @

  https://www.virtualbow.org/files/woodbears-selfbow-design-sheet.zip

And Alans supertiller can be found at at Jim Thorne  site along with instructions

  http://buildyourownbow.com/how-to-use-supertiller-build-along/

[lleroy]

I used this some time ago (and even submitted patches  ) but only for selfbows. I have no interest in laminates, but that's it's real strong area.
The units are from an engineering/math perspective - so metric.

First in the "profile" you need to specify the length of one limb in meters (eg. 0.8 ). Here you can add curvature specified at locations along the limb. eg. for reflex in the limbs or for relexed tips. (the curvature is in 1/m )

For the "width", you need to specify the location of each point relative to the length of the profile.
0 is the beginning of the limb, at the handle, 1 is the tip of the bow - nock point really.
(the default bow has 0.06 at 0.0, which is 6cm or about 2 3/8 inch at the handle, and 0.01 at 1.0, which is about 3/8 inch at the tip)

For the "layers", you need to specify the location of each point relative to the length of the profile again.
(the default bow has 0.015 at 0.0, which is 1.5cm or about 5/8 inch at the handle, and 0.01 at 1.0, which is about 3/8 inch at the tip)