Hello Trad Gang - Found Shakespeare X16 - Need String Guidance

[Greytook]

Hello Gang,

Complete newbie here, so please be patient.  That's a lot to read and digest for a new person!

I got some good info from the digest, but I'm still not quite sure where to post this, and what the expectations are.  I have a Shakespeare model x16 that belonged to my dad.  I found it again after a water heater accident I had to deal with.  I have some pictures, and from what I can tell, imgur is the place to put them.

What I would like to know is how best to clean and recondition this bow.  Also, how to check for safety, and the proper string length and composition.

Any proper suggestions are welcome!  

Thank you,

Grey

[OkKeith]

Grey-
I'm sure you will get LOTS of help. Folks here are always very generous with their experience.

Here are my two-cents worth (not adjusted for inflation):

First just a good dust off with a soft cloth will help. I'm not familiar with that exact model but there are a few general givens. Somewhere on the bow there will be printed or written some important information. The draw poundage will be most often listed. As an example it might read, 45# @ 28". This would mean that at a draw length of twenty-eight inches it will be forty-five pounds of draw weight. It should also list near this information the AMO length. This is used to determine string length.

If the finish is whole (without scrapes, dings or bad scratches) I would just wipe it down with a furniture safe polish and call it good.

The last detail is to check for limb straightness. Hold one end with the other resting on the floor and sight down it lengthwise. The limb tips and riser section should all line up straight.

If you want to get it ready to shoot, we can deal with that next.
OkKeith

[Greytook]

Thanks OkKeith.  I wanted to add some pictures, see below.  It looks like it's mostly dirt and grime, with some possible bug deposits.  The finish looks pretty good to me, no crazing or obvious cracks.

I was thinking of cleaning with something mild like simple green, then adding a wax to help preserve it (renaissance).  Maybe that's overkill.  I think we may have some pledge wipes around.

Looks like this one is a 66" bow and rated 40#.  There are some other numbers in there that might refer to AMO.  I'm seeing F.31 28 B.  Would that be 31" string and 28" draw length?

Pics below:   https://imgur.com/a/Z6JoB  

 

 

 

 

 


Thanks for the help!

Grey

[OkKeith]

Grey, that's a good looking old bow!

There are a LOT of guys on here that are much more attuned to the history than I am but that bow could be older than when bow manufacturers standardized measurements. More modern bows have an AMO (Archery Manufacturers Organization) length listed. If I remember right the AMO length is the string length plus three inches (I will be corrected pretty quick if I am wrong). So you may need a 63 inch string length.

I haven't bought a string in a long time. I make my own Flemish twist strings but that seems like a weird length. When you string it and tune it the string will need some twists as it stretches and settles in anyway.

As far as cleaning it... I would be leery of using the Simple Green. I don't know what the cleaner might do to the finish. Murphy's Oil Soap might be a better choice. A barely damp cloth (you don't want to get it too wet) to get the major goobies off and then the Pledge wipes to finish it up.

How did the limbs look? Pretty straight?

OkKeith

[Greytook]

I think may have some Murphy's around as well. I think it will need something to get the black marks off as much as possible.

I wish I could get the photos to show up in the post. Not sure what's wrong there, tags look correct. I edited the subject to add something about the string question.

*Edit: figured out the image thing...

Everything seems very straight. Sighting down the top it all looks good. I held the sides up to a tall cabinet with a straight side, and both the bottom and top sat flush against it with no real rocking. Notches look good and whole.  I would say I got lucky considering it sat neglected in mom's garage for about 30 years.

I would really love some help on the string.  There is so much info out there, I'm not real sure where to start.  I've read some stuff already that seems to be differing opinions, and saw some calculations regarding something like the arrow rest to notch height.  Also, I have no clue what the modern materials used are now, and how appropriate they would be for this bow.  I certainly don't want to damage it with a wrong choice there.

Really appreciate all the help so far!


Grey

[OkKeith]

No worries Grey... happy to help. I was able to access your photo page and see the pics.

A plain 'ole B-50 Dacron endless loop string is a good place to start. They run from $8-$10 just about anywhere. A 14 strand string of 62-63 inches should work fine.

The way the AMO thing works is if you buy or order a 66AMO string it will actually be 62 or 63 inches long, before any twists. You can order these online from any place like 3 Rivers Archery or Lancaster but even most Bass Pros and Cabela's carry them. Stay away from anything but B-50. It is a softer material and will not damage your bow. Anything called Fast Flight or D-97 is a hard material and will chew up the limb tips on a vintage bow like yours.

The NUMBER ONE THING... get yourself a good "pocket" style bow stringer!

The old through the leg or push-pull against the shoe instep procedure has damaged more bows (and archers) than anything else. I think all of mine are the Limbsaver brand but as long as it has the wide nylon pocket it will work. I have them all over the place. They are not all that expensive and ensure that your bow will stay straight for many more years.

I did a quick Google search for Traditional Archery shops in Texas. Not sure where you are but one might be close to you (unless you live between Abilene and El Paso, sparse out there). Even an Archery shop that is mostly compounds usually has at least one guy who knows traditional.

There is A LOT of information to sift through. Keep it basic for now and it will go well. Once you get your string situation figured out we will need to look at arrows. Here is how to measure your draw length at home:

"Just stand naturally. Have someone else help you, and measure from the tip of one middle finger to the other. Then simply divide that number by 2.5. The quotient is your approximate draw length (in inches) for your body size." from Huntersfriend.com

Once you have this then we can look at what length and spine of arrows you might need. Are you thinking you might hunt with this bow or mostly target shoot?

OkKeith

[Greytook]

So I'm laughing my arse off a bit, because that is exactly how my dad taught me to string this bow.  I think I even remember him biting it one time while trying it. I remember doing Camp Archery back in the day, and I even found my old Yeoman card with this bow.  Pretty much remember that is the way to do it; step through and hook the ankle.

[Greytook]

Hmm, good question.  I think mainly target for this bow, but if I develop the skills then I would love to take down something with it.  Will work on draw length.

[OkKeith]

Grey, I have to admit that that's how MY Dad taught me as well early on. Then the foot on the bottom limb tip and push-pull, slide the string. It only takes getting a limb tip in the mouth once (even for a dullard like me) to look for something safer.

No matter how careful you are, the through the leg method twists the limbs and that ain't good.

It looks like you might need a new rug rest and maybe strike plate. Those are cheap at about $5 for both. With that flat shelf you might look into putting a small sliver of leather (some folks use a piece of paper match) under the rug rest, perpendicular to the riser. This minimizes the arrow contact on the shelf and helps get a better arrow flight.

Like you said... SO MUCH to take in! I have been shooting longbows and recurve bows since I was big enough to pull a fifteen pound bow (a long time, I was a big kid) and still learn something new every day. Usually I learn it from someone here on TradGang.

Scrub her up, wipe her down and get a string on her. I'm looking forward to seeing what she looks like up and running.

OkKeith