A question about brace height

[Kaluza]

I understand that I need to twist/untwist the string on my bow until I find the quietest, smoothest brace height. What I don't understand is how you keep the brace height constant between uses of a bow. Won't the string twist/untwist on it's own some when the bow is not strung? Do you have to measure and adjust brace height every time you restring your bow?

[BAK]

Well, with most bows when you unbrace, you just slide the string down the limb, hence it can't alter the number of twists.  Are you not doing that?

[Prairie Drifter]

I keep my bow strung so it stays stretched and at perfect brace. I have found that if unstrung the string "shortens" changing brace until it stretches out again. Plays havoc w/ tuning sometimes.

[McDave]

The string will stretch a little when it is new, but should settle down after you use it a few times.  As was mentioned, the string tends to be a little shorter when you first re-string it, so if I'm going to check my brace height, I do it after I shoot the bow for a while.  If you're going to take the string completely off the bow, you can loop the ends together in such a way that they don't untwist.  It is a good idea to check the brace height from time to time, because you may need to add a twist or two. If the brace height changes very much after the string settles in, it probably means something not good is happening it is a good time to change the string.

[Kaluza]

Originally posted by BAK:
Well, with most bows when you unbrace, you just slide the string down the limb, hence it can't alter the number of twists.  Are you not doing that?

I'm very new to all this, and I don't have my bow yet. It's being delivered tomorrow. I had just been reading about brace heights and was wondering about this. After reading your answer though it seems so obvious...

[Alexander Traditional]

Originally posted by Prairie Drifter:
I keep my bow strung so it stays stretched and at perfect brace. I have found that if unstrung the string "shortens" changing brace until it stretches out again. Plays havoc w/ tuning sometimes.

I have found this to be true. I was unstringing my bow all the time and finding my brace height was changing,so I just leave it strung as well.

[Short on Cache]

You guys see no issue with leaving it strung then I assume? I always learned to unstring it but Ive heard it the other way too.

[Marc B.]

Originally posted by Short on Cache:
You guys see no issue with leaving it strung then I assume? I always learned to unstring it but Ive heard it the other way too.

I'll leave them strung for months at a time. You are more likely to cause problems stringing/unstringing all of the time, particularly if you're doing something wrong.

[Bjorn]

I have bows that have been strung for years and more years-only unstrung to maintain or replace the string.