short selfbow?

[Justin Falon]

is it possible to build a 60" osage selfbow without string follow???  Even a 62" selfbow would be ok.  thanks for any advise.

justin

[Art B]

Sure, but at what draw length?

[Shaun]

Yes. The caveat is that it takes very careful tillering and an induced backset before tillering. I prefer about 1/2" of string follow but have made short bows that were straight and even backset after shooting. As Dean said, "Dry wood expertly tillered."

[Justin Falon]

27" draw

Should I induce the backset along the entire length of the bow blank or just the tips?  The past few that I built had a "gull wing" appearance.  Too much moisture probably.  They shoot fine but I am looking for reflexed profile.  

Thanks.

justin

[Art B]

A bulbous handle design produce less set in these type bows IMO. Induced reflex right out of the fades begs for parallel limbs. Degree of parallel length depends on degree of reflex. Flipped tips stress inner limbs more (bulbous handle helps here).

What I'm getting at here is get your design right to begin with. Expert tillering means nothing if your design is all wrong. Other factors, like the quality of osage you have available, M/C, plays a huge role in what you can do.......Art

[Justin Falon]

despite what G.D. says about handle design, it is the last part that I pay attention to when making a bow.  I love the simplicity of a selfbow.  No glue lines. No jigs.

I will put some thought into my current design.

How do you guys keep your stave steady?  I am too cheap to purchase a stave press but that idea looks great!!!!!

[caleb0100]

I use a 5" bench vise to secure my stave with a saw horse on the other end to support the weight

[karrow]

Originally posted by caleb0100:
I use a 5" bench vise to secure my stave with a saw horse on the other end to support the weight

what he said

[Shaun]

A vise with plywood or leather padding on the jaws works great. Only need the pads when you get near finished bow blank dimensions to keep from denting the bow - don't need it when you are roughing out and chasing a ring.

Its not the specific handle design so much as the working limb length. With a short handle and fades or better yet slight bend in the handle you get more working limb and less stress on the wood which equals less set.

The "rules" of tillering for less set include; dry wood, never pulling past a visible tiller flaw and the old adages of never past final draw length or weight. The visible flaw one is only learned with experience. When I started I could never see what "flat spots" and "not bending" areas others were talking about - eventually it becomes clearer.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I glued 1/8" thick osage strips on my vice jaws and then glued a leather pad over them. It works great and only slips on me here and there. I use a big vice, its worth it to buy a good one.

The only thing I would add to Shauns non-set recipe is not only do I not pull past my target weight during rough tillering, I dont pull past half my target weight.

[stringstretcher]

Pearl, I know I am as dumb as a box of rocks, but you are going to have to explain how you can only pull through half your target weight, but make weight????  I know I am missing something here???

[Art B]

My vise is made from a car screw jack and has wood jaws padded with rubber. Works fine for my needs. Like Pearly mentioned, money ahead to have a big vise handy.

Hey, I like that "gull wing" appearance, along with flipped tips. Makes for a pleasing profile IMO.

[beetlebailey1977]

Pearl drums said pull half the target weight in rough tillering.....not finish tillering.  That does help cut back on set in the finished bow.

[stringstretcher]

Thanks Beetlebailey1977.  Guess I better go back and learn to read better...  

[beetlebailey1977]

LOL I miss things too, stringstretcher...