Osage Flatbow Question

[Shootum Straight]

I have an Osage flatbow that has not been shot or even strung up in about 3 1/2 years.  Can I just string the bow and shoot it or do I need to slowly work up to my draw length.

[D.Ellis]

If I were you, I'd string it up when you go to bed and shoot it in the morning......maybe short draw a bit for the first few arrows and then shoot normally. I've never let one sit that long, but I have left them alone for a year or so and never had a problem.....YMMV.
Darcy
   

[scrub-buster]

I would not leave it strung overnight.  That's not good for selfbows.

[Roy from Pa]

I'd string it and gradually work it back to your draw length. Wood bows can't be left strung for long periods of time, it will harm them.

[D.Ellis]

Do you guys unstring your bows between rounds or wait until you are in range of a game animal to string it up??
I have left good selfbows strung all day while hunting.......all day meaning dawn till dusk, with no harmful effect......if you sleep like rip van winkle, maybe don't leave it strung till you wakeup   :D   , but 8 hours shouldn't hurt a well made selfbow in my humble opinion.
Darcy  

[Shootum Straight]

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it.

[Roy from Pa]

I leave my bows strung when hunting and shooting but not over night. Just me though.

[scrub-buster]

I normally hunt 2-4 hours at a time.  I unstring my bow as soon as I walk back to the garage.  I'm sure I could leave it strung longer than that but I don't like to.  Why cause any undue stress to the wood?  I've used the same osage bow for the last two seasons and have probably watched a couple thousand arrows leave its string.  It still holds the same amount of reflex that it did the day I finished making it.  That's just the way I do it.  I'm not saying its the only right way.  Its just my way.

[D.Ellis]

I'm sure relative humidity will make a difference as well, and usually it's quite dry where I live.......but the 67# osage bow listed at the bottom of my post is 58" long and 1.5" wide and I'd leave it strung for 8 hours without thinking twice about it. I don't have time to look up the reference now(I will tomorrow) but in one of the bowyers bibles there was a note about long string times.......
I agree with you both about not leaving a bow strung that long in general.......it doesn't make sense when it takes about 2 seconds to unstring it. But the original poster wanted to reintroduce strain to wood that had sat idle for over 3 years......

By the way scrub-buster......I still have a nice hickory stave here that came from you. I'll have to use it as soon as I get the time.......knives are keeping me too busy for bow building these days  
Darcy  

[Roy from Pa]

Come on Darcy...

Ya can't mention building knives without showing us some pictures of them beautiful knives you make. Hint  

[PEARL DRUMS]

Id low brace it, say 4-5" and draw it. We "talked" about this on another site. My feelings are if the bow was built right to start with, its fine. If you brace it and it blows up, its wasn't made right. Stable wood and proper tillers don't change that easily. If the wood wasn't ready when it was built, yes it could be a problem now. If the tiller was junk when it was built, yes it could be a problem now.

[Eric Krewson]

I think it really depends on the bow. A properly tillered bow can be left strung a long time (all day) without problems. I suspect one that is a little hingy or poorly tillered would be more susceptible to damage. The wood the bow is made of would come into play as well.

I was shooting outside one afternoon, I put my osage bow on the deck rail while I gathered arrows. The next morning I thought of my bow, which had been out in the rain over night. I was expecting to unstring it and find disaster but it was the same as if I had left it strung for an hour or so.

[LittleBen]

In my limited experience I thhink Eric is right on about leaving bows strung.

I tend not to worry too much ... I tend to build them faster than I can possibly wear them out so I also don't care that much about putting a little wear onto my bow .... So it follows the string by 2" after a season or two of disrespect .... Who really cares?

I have one not particularly well finished, although relatively well tillers hickory bow that I've shot on many long hot days at the range, wet weather cold weather dry weather etc. I typically remove it from my tree stand by throwing it on the ground, and it's just the same as it's always been .... Probably would be more careful with something rare like yew or soft like cedar

[D.Ellis]

I found the reference that was bouncing around in my half vacant head   :D   it related to long stringing times for new bows before drawing them being a good idea......thus my connection between a bow that is undrawn vs a bow long undrawn.
It is from TBB vol 2. Paul Comstock states "I have gotten away with bloody murder on unbacked bows by giving them long stringing time before I give them long draws" And later in the same chapter(ancient European bows) he claims "24 hours of stringing time was not too much" for that particular bow.


I have often, when building a new bow, left them strung overnight before I get them totally broke in.......never had one take excessive set from it.

Here ya go Roy. I usually post them over on hunting knives and crafters......but, ask and you shall receive   :D  

 

 

 


Cheers Guys    
Darcy

[scrub-buster]

Whoa!  Those are some beautiful knives.  Nice job on them.

[Roy from Pa]

Very nice...