HH bug got me ... Part One!

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:

force-draw curves are interesting at best.  

it either feels right or it doesn't.        

Rob, I agree.  there are two distinctly different things addressed here...one of which will naturally affect the other...

knowing how your bow stacks is interesting but where it begins to take off and more importantly how it affects your "arrow on the rest" feeling is a point where there may be a correlation in design length and the point where that particular bow will not give a guy those warm fuzzies...IMO

[Nate Steen .]

I've only graphed one of my bows,  but go alot on feel as the bow is shaped,tillered, and timed.  however,  I try to make them all 'feel' similar taking into account the different weights.  The one I graphed is to me the perfect force draw curve......a straight line about 45 degrees angle across the graph paper.  It's one of my personal bows, and draws 2#/inch starting at 12" all the way to 28", which is 1" past my draw.  I try to tiller all my bows to be smooth to 1" past the targeted draw length.  IMO the smoothest bow is a straight line force draw 'curve'.  No exaggerated steep lines before bottoming out in a smooth curve.  to me, that is what a compound does.  A r/d bow, in my opinion, has a force draw curve that softly imitates a compound force draw curve.    I want to build bows as far from that curve as I can.....but to each their own, we're all different in likes and dislikes....

[Mudd]

Nate you said that a heck of a lot more intelligently than what I tried to earlier.

I used the terminology of "draw force curve" because that's what I was measuring but I wanted it to be as straight a line as I could make it.

A straight line equates to smoothness of draw and usually less hand vibration in the finished product.

But I know very little of making bows.

My experience was in getting sticks of Osage to bend to my string to the point they would fling an arrow and not much more.

I would never besmirch the good title of bowyer by adding it anywhere near my name.

I would like to thank everyone who has participated in this awesome thread.

It has been not only informative but very interesting.

God bless,Mudd

[Ray_G]

The bow that Nate built for me follows along what he said.  I had been shooting the bow for two years and one day at the shop asked him to check it on the bow scale.  We did not check the weight gain all along the draw but from 26" to 28" (where I was interested in) it gained 2# per inch.  He did the tillering by feel and it feels reallllly smooth to me.    

[Rik]

HA! At last, ye scoundrels, I am vindicated!

You have giggled and scoffed at my painted bows, but this will set your minds straight on the matter, and show you that I am clearly in line with long and glorious bow-painting traditions.

I share the following quote with you, from the book "The White Company" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This book is said to be the greatest adventure novel ever written about archers, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself said is was his greatest book.

And I quote:

"His shaven face was as brown as a hazel-nut, tanned and dried by the weather, with harsh, well-marked features, which were not improved by a long white scar which stretched from the corner of his left nostril to the angle of the jaw. His eyes were bright and searching, with something of menace and of authority in their quick glitter, and his mouth was firm-set and hard, as befitted one who was wont to set his face against danger. A  straight sword by his side and a painted long-bow jutting over his shoulder proclaimed his profession, while his scarred brigandine of chain-mail and his dinted steel cap showed that he was no holiday soldier, but one who was even now fresh from the wars. A white surcoat with the lion of St. George in red upon the centre covered his broad breast, while a sprig of new-plucked broom at the side of his head-gear gave a touch of gayety and grace to his grim, war-worn equipment."

I REST MY CASE.

[Mudd]

Hahaha!!!!!!      

PS: Sir Doyle also wrote Sherlock Holmes...lol

[Ray_G]

   Rik, can you get that outfit in Hunter Orange, 'cause your goin' to need it if you go to mountains like that    

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Rik:
...I share the following quote with you, from the book "The White Company" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This book is said to be the greatest adventure novel ever written about archers, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself said is was his greatest book.

And I quote:

"His shaven face was as brown as a hazel-nut, tanned and dried by the weather, with harsh, well-marked features, which were not improved by a long white scar which stretched from the corner of his left nostril to the angle of the jaw. His eyes were bright and searching, with something of menace and of authority in their quick glitter, and his mouth was firm-set and hard, as befitted one who was wont to set his face against danger. A  straight sword by his side and a painted long-bow jutting over his shoulder proclaimed his profession, while his scarred brigandine of chain-mail and his dinted steel cap showed that he was no holiday soldier, but one who was even now fresh from the wars. A white surcoat with the lion of St. George in red upon the centre covered his broad breast, while a sprig of new-plucked broom at the side of his head-gear gave a touch of gayety and grace to his grim, war-worn equipment."
...

ah, a most fave book of mine, dog eared from 40+ years of reading and rereading.  i'm still laboring over the hollywood screenplay adaptation, in the most errol flynn of styles.

some selected passages that i consider apropos to we devotees of the hill variety of stick 'n' string ...

 The White Company

why does an edit create a new post???

Originally posted by Tony Van Dort:
 

Originally posted by sunset hill:
  The one I graphed is to me the perfect force draw curve......a straight line about 45 degrees angle across the graph paper.  It's one of my personal bows, and draws 2#/inch starting at 12" all the way to 28", which is 1" past my draw.  I try to tiller all my bows to be smooth to 1" past the targeted draw length.  IMO the smoothest bow is a straight line force draw 'curve'. ...

Nate...That is a perfect picture of "smooth" ......a linear (straight) line showing consistentcy...and an inch past your draw!          

Exactly what I was referring to and the same thing Mudd said.

A plot like that shows one does not need to go to a longer bow to gain that sweet feel on draw, while at the same time getting better effeciency out of a tighter arc.
IMO [/b]

Rob,
Thanks for the link!
I have never heard of this book...looks to be a good'un.

[Ben Maher]

For what its worth I have a horse named Sir Nigel and another named Sam ..... and had  St Bernard named " Hordle " ....
Great great book ! all longbowmen should read it !

Rik, if its ok for Sir Nigel and crew to give the Longbow a lick of paint  then you are forgiven and in good company it would seem ...

[Rob DiStefano]

the entire book ...

 The White Company  - html page

 The White Company  - text file

[Buckhorn47]

Thank you, Rob - have been searching for that book for a long time - never thought of Internet

[Rob DiStefano]

wouldn't that book make for a dandy epic action/adventure movie in the errol flynn 'robinhood' style???

[Rik]

The big screen debut seems long overdue.

[Arwin]

I've been bitten!!! Pics of the infection later this week.

[Ben Maher]

"wouldn't that book make for a dandy epic action/adventure movie in the errol flynn 'robinhood' style??? "

Heck Yes !!!

Lets see ...
Starring .... well me of course , Rob and Rik ,Mudd , Tony .....

I'm re reading again today ... Gee i Love this book !

Also .. my new Belcher Union Jack 66" 52@ 27" [all yew]arrived last week with the Carbon Sleeve t/d .... very nice system I must say .
I'l post pics later

[hvyhitter]

Picked up my copy of the white company on amazon for about ten bucks a while back.......going to reread it this week.

[Rob DiStefano]

the only slight drawback to 'the white company' is that the prose has many references to middle english.  a google search will offer a number of online sources to help out more than well.

what a spectacular 'n' splendorous big silver screen movie it will make - think of flynn's 'robin hood' (1938) meets 'lord of the rings' (the new millennium).  the cast and filming venues will be tres important, too!  pg13 rated, of course - because cloth yard shafts will be meeting flesh and bone, as will swords and pikes, therefore blood will spilleth.