Changing the contact point on the shelf

[jonsimoneau]

I was reading on O.L. site about how when the arrow is nocked...it should contact the shelf of the bow directly above the most inward part of the throat on the grip.  He advises that if your bow does not do this...to build up the shelf in that spot so that the arrow contacts it there.  He claims it prevents tourque.  I have noticed that almost no bow I have ever seen does this.  Does anybody here build up the shelf of their bow in order to achieve this?  If so, what does this do to your knock point?  It would seem that the nock point would need to be raised.

[stevewills]

i do it with a piece of a toothpick

[Peachey]

I glue a small strip of leather under my rug rest at that spot. And yes I have to raise my nock point.

[Terry Green]

John......yes, the arrow rest 'peak' should be directly over the 'pivot point'(the deepest part of the grip).

Not sure who's bows you shoot, but most bows I've seen and own are designed that way.  This is nothing new, or nothing invented by OL....its been around a long time.

[Eugene Slagle]

I was lucky with my Zona T/D that Bill radiused the shelf just right to where I have a rug under & a leather side.

My Sky - Sky Hawk was cut just past center so I used the aluminum portion of a ACC for the side & a toothpick for the bottom of the shelf then with the covering.

[BobCo 1965]

I've seen bunch of bows with a flat shelf. Yes, if you build up the shelf, then you will have adjust the nock point.

Here is a pic of a bow that I just bought with a flat shelf, more then likely, I'll just stick a Bear rest on it though:

 

[JEJ]

I've done this build up on my recurves OK with no problems, but on my longbow the "top point" of the radius of the shelf is cut a lot more towards the bow back than the deepest part (pivot point) of the grip (sorry if that is confusing). I think it will take more to build it up than a toothpick or small strip of leather. What have any of you used on longbows to do this? Thanks!  

[jonsimoneau]

Hey Terry, maybe I'm not quite getting it right.  On my bows, the peak of the shelf is above the deepest part of the grip, but when an arrow is nocked, because of where the nockpoint is, it still contact at the front edge of the shelf.  Every bow I have ever owned does this. Maybe I have misunderstood this as this is where the shelf should BEGIN to contact the arrow.  Because on all my bows the arrow is still touching the front of the shelf (closest to target).

[Terry Green]

Bob....yes,  most of the older bows had flat/non radius.....but most builders today(again, from what I've seen) are building radius shelves....and most of those peak at or darn near close to the pivot point.

John...sounds like your bow is not radius-ed enough  if I'm reading you right.  I Think you will get much better arrow flight and more consistent shooting if you can radius it more so it only contacts above the pivot point.

[JEJ]

Thanks Terry, it has a nice radius to it, but the "top" (highest point) of the radius is too far "forward" towards the back of the bow when compared to a line up from the deepest part of the grip. This line from the deepest point of the grip would only be in from the belly of the bow by about 1/2" or so, and the top of the shelf radius is forward of that by at least 1/2". I'm thinking about putting a piece of 5/16" woody under my rest with Barge glue and see if that works. I'm on my lunch hour at work, and my bow is at home so I'm guessing about these dimensions and could be off some, thanks.

[jonsimoneau]

Cool Terry, I'll see what I can do.  I get good arrow flight...but I am a real stickler for perfection when it comes to this!

[jonsimoneau]

Bob, i do have an old bow where the shelf is flat.  But by the time I put even just a half inch above square nock point on it...I would have to raise the shelf obove the deepest part of the grip a GOOD 1/8 of an inch to stop the arrow from contacting on the front of the shelf (closest to target) Is this normal or am I looking at things wrong?

[toolmaker]

Don't be scared.  Grab a file and some sandpaper; go lightly, and make sure to follow the existing shape while putting slightly more pressure as you go toward the front.  Seal it with polyurethane before you put your rug rest on and you're good to go.  Good luck.