building out shelf/strike plate

[tdhartsell]

Hey guys, point me in the right direction if I'm not posting correctly here. This is only the second time I've ever posted on a forum and they make me a bit nervous. Sorry if I'm violating any rules! I've searched for answers but can't find any that I understand completely regarding my post topic. So... What is the purpose for adding a matchstick or something similar horizontally underneath your shelf material? What does it do? What is the purpose of adding a matchstick underneath your strike plate material vertically? What does it do? What's the purpose of doing one over the other, or even  doing both? Thanks guys! Again, sorry if I posted in the wrong place!

[Draven]

Complicated questions. Sometimes you add a matchstick under the shelf material when the shelf has not enough radius - trying to minimize the arrow contact to the shelf.
Sometimes you add a matchstick under the strike plate to push the arrow off centre for bows cut past centre. The reason for this position is to counter-act the slight sideways motion of the bowstring on release from the fingers. Others may have different opinions though.

[Longtoke]

Putting a matchstick under the strike plate does two things.  

One thing it does is to change the the "center cut" or in other words the amount that the strike plate is off set from the center of the bow/string.  A bow that is cut to center typically takes a stiffer arrow than one that is cut shy of center since the arrow must bend more to get around the riser.

Adding or subtracting material from your strike plate can allow you to tune your bow to your arrows to an extent.

The second thing adding a matchstick under your strike plate or arrow shelf does is to reduce the amount of contact the arrow has with the bow. In theory this allows the bow to be more forgiving of mistakes like torquing the bow.

[Longtoke]

Anything can be used in place of a matchstick, some bows have feather rests, or thin leather strips under the rug.  I like to use a split toothpick cut to the right length.
  It really doesnt matter what you use, all you are doing is creating a high spot on your bow.  Mostly its aesthetic.

This toothpick and cloth tape shelf/strike plate shoots really well!  

 

Not much to look at though...