Longbow String Follow

[QUINT]

Please explain. What is "string follow"?

[Apex Predator]

Most all wood bows keep some of the bend after un-stringing.  Measured from the back of the grip.  You can lay your bow on a flat surface and measure how far the tips are from the surface.  1-2" is considered acceptable in a bow of this type.  Some induce some back set it the limbs with heat, or by laminating another piece on the back.  The laminated set-back, or reflex, is accomplished with some kind of form during glue-up.

[onemississipp]

"String Follow" is also called "Set", as the Apex Predator said, it is when the limbs keep some of it's strung profile when unstrung.

It has been said that Sting follow or set happens when a bows limbs have been stressed during tillering.

There have been numerous explanations as to why it happens, wood not dry enough, limb to wide, limb to narrow, poor bow design, ect..

[QUINT]

Thanks. Then are "string follow" and "bow set" the same? The term bow set has been used for alot of years,and that I understand, but string follow is a new term (to me anyway) I've been seeing, hence the reason for the question.

[QUINT]

onemississipp,
We must have been typing at the same time. Thanks for the clairification.

[Traditionalfirst]

Yes they are the same, there are some bow makers that like string follow or set, they say it make a sweeter shooting bow.

[Lost Arra]

Not everyone would agree with saying string follow and set are exactly the same since string follow can be the result of something other than set.

From Tim Baker (a TBB author):

Set: Permanent deflection of the limbs toward the archer, resulting from compression of belly wood beyond its elastic limit. Set and string follow are not the same..

String Follow: Where by set, design, or deflex in the stave, an unbraced bow's tips rest some distance bellyward of the back. Usually the result of set.

[ChristopherO]

Lost Arra and I agree with the definition.  Think of it this way:  String follow can occur, and does, because of set but it can also be built into a bow intentionally, too.  The Egyptians built bows with string follow before ever being shot 3000 years ago.  (info from the Traditional Bower's Bible).  I've read some fiberglass bowers are building string follow into certain designs, too, for sweetness of shooting.    
Set, in and of it's self is the compression of the belly wood during tillering and, or shooting that causes the wood not to spring back to exact shape as it was once it was first built.  If a bow is overbuilt set may not be noticeable at all.  I've not had that occur, yet!  This is on an all wood bow.  I've not noticed any FG bows to take a set.
Both string follow and set prevent the bow to acheive it's highest performance but if it shoots well it is perfectly tolerable.
I hope this helps.  Many times the two terms are used interchangable but they do have a slightly different meaning.

[onemississipp]

Lost Arra,

"From Tim Baker (a TBB author):

Set: Permanent deflection of the limbs toward the archer, resulting from compression of belly wood beyond its elastic limit. Set and string follow are not the same..

String Follow: Where by set, design, or deflex in the stave, an unbraced bow's tips rest some distance bellyward of the back. Usually the result of set."

Those seem to say the same thing.

If a limbs tips are designed to deflect toward the archey, I would call that deflex.

[onemississipp]

That could be the next craze deflexed tips!

[John Scifres]

I had an interesting discussion with someone on the *********** last week who made the distinction of set being permanent follow at rest and string follow being the amount the limbs creep back immediately after unstringing.

[Shaun]

Set is the amount the wood fails to spring back to its original shape. This may or may not involve string follow depending on what the original shape was. All self bows take some set during the tillering process. This is the reason many wood bowyers add reflex to a roughed out bow blank with heat before starting the tillering process.

String follow defines the shape of an unstrung bow where the tips are behind the handle line towards the belly. This may be the result of wood fatigue during tillering or shooting or it may be intentionally induced in a laminated bow form.

To say that a string follow bow cannot achieve its "highest performance" is a matter of personal taste. If speed is the only measure of "performance" this may be true. But it is a widely held opinion that string follow bows are easier to shoot (sweeter) that is they have less hand shock and are more stable (easier to hit the target).

[John Scifres]

Set is not a given.  It is simply a symptom of overpowering wood's ability to resist compression.  I could make a 68" osage that was 2" wide and 3/8" thick that would take no set.  This is assuming that no set was a prime directive.

I have built a couple bows that took no set.  One was a 68" long osage, 40# at 25".  Careful tillering, dry wood, and good design are critical.  The best operational way to accomplish it is to have the bow to final dimensions before you ever bend it.  Not reasonable most of the time but you should aim to come as close as possible through careful layout and wood removal.

[onemississipp]

Well said John.

[James Wrenn]

I am pretty new to messing with these all wood and backed bows.From what I have seen so far a little string follow does not bother me at all. :)Unless it is a lot it really only effects performance a few fps and makes the bow nice to shoot.I think the trick is to let it take the set mid limb and not all at the tips.If I was really worried about a few numbers I would stick with glass and carbon anyway.     jmo

[onemississipp]

Originally posted by QUINT:
Please explain. What is "string follow"?

I hope we helped you in defining "String Follow". As you have seen it turns out to be interpreted differently from person to person.

[George Tsoukalas]

Shaun, I agree with you. I also agree with Tim Baker. Set and string follow are not the same.  Let's say you have a stave that has 3 inches of reflex. By the time the bow is finished you have 1 inch left. You have 2 inches of set and "0" string follow. jawge

[Steve P]

George gives a good example to help explain the terminoligy. I also agree with Shaun as to the shooting characteristics of a string follow bow. I don't know about the next craze, the are some fellows that have been quietly building them right along. I believe there may be some archers  just now discovering these bows and bowyers, though.


Steve

[onemississipp]

Originally posted by George Tsoukalas:
Shaun, I agree with you. I also agree with Tim Baker. Set and string follow are not the same.  Let's say you have a stave that has 3 inches of reflex. By the time the bow is finished you have 1 inch left. You have 2 inches of set and "0" string follow. jawge

Or 1" of "Reflex".

[onemississipp]

I was joking about deflexed tips being the next craze, and was meaning it to an extreme, something like a 3" deflex.

It has been said that 1" to 1 1/2" of String follow/set is not a bad thing.