Bow Rack Belly or Back

[longbow guy]

When hanging bows on a bow rack (horizontal), do you lay bows  on the rack , belly "up" or back "up"? Any pic or info would help!!      

[warden415]

IMO it doesn't make a difference. Which ever way they fit and lay on the rack more stable is generally what I do.

[Iron Man2]

I would like to see the replies also...I was told by an older Trad shooter to place belly up and the supports on the back just past the risers.

JL
   

[dan d]

Glad to see you posted this question longbow guy, I too am curious to the replies.

Dan

[macbow]

With glass bows couldn't possible make any difference.
Pretty much the same with all wood.
Standing in a corner is supposed to have a long term effect on wood bows.
If someone,has a highly technical reason for which is best it may be more than I need to know.
Which ever looks the best.

[TRAP]

I like em belly-up
 
Trap

[Bladepeek]

I find this an interesting question too. My rack was criticized for having the supporting pegs too far apart. I was told they should be under the fades at the widest.

Others said vertical hanging was the only acceptable long term method.

What about some of the bowyers commenting on how they would prefer their bows be stored.

[30coupe]

Originally posted by TRAP:
I like em belly-up
 
Trap

I like that rack, Trap. How far apart are your pegs (vertically) and how far apart are the racks? Looks like your bows are pretty close in length so I suppose that allows for the close vertical pegs. My current rack is vertical, but I'm out of room and then some. I suppose I should sell some bows, but a new rack might do the trick.    :rolleyes:

As far as how to hang bows, I don't think it makes a nickel's worth of difference. As long as the weight is equally distributed on a horizontal rack how far apart the pegs are or belly/back really won't have an impact. Vertical racks put the weight on the string for the most part, so theoretically, no harm can come to the bow.

[Bladepeek]

Originally posted by 30coupe:
 

Originally posted by TRAP:
I like em belly-up
   
Trap

I like that rack, Trap. How far apart are your pegs (vertically) and how far apart are the racks? Looks like your bows are pretty close in length so I suppose that allows for the close vertical pegs. My current rack is vertical, but I'm out of room and then some. I suppose I should sell some bows, but a new rack might do the trick.     :rolleyes:  

As far as how to hang bows, I don't think it makes a nickel's worth of difference. As long as the weight is equally distributed on a horizontal rack how far apart the pegs are or belly/back really won't have an impact. Vertical racks put the weight on the string for the most part, so theoretically, no harm can come to the bow. [/b]

Except that technically, all that weight hanging on the string is pulling only on the lower tip.

I'm really wondering if we're discussing "how many faireys can dance on the head of a pin" here. I'm not going to change my setup until someone explains to me how it is damaging my bows. I won't leave a bow standing on its tip, and I can see if the bow is not evenly supported or the pegs aren't level, it could affect one limb more than the other. Other than that, my modern, laminated bows seem pretty durable!

I suppose if I had self bows, it would be more like caring for a bamboo flyrod. My graphite rod doesn't seem to care much how I store it (or even if I use it).

[TRAP]

Russ, the pegs on my rack are 3 1/2" apart and the two sides are 20" apart.

This layout worked fine for me because the bows have a similar profile.  You can see how close the 58 Kodiak and the 59 MSW Kodiak are. Almost touching.  

If a person were going to hang multiple bows of different designs on the same rack more spacing between pegs would probably be necessary.

Trap

[cacciatore]

Never seen any collector places them upside down!

[Orion]

Up or down makes no difference, but i agree that the support posts should be pretty close to the fadeouts/riser.

[bruinman]

Been storing them this way for years with no adverse effects.

 

[The Whittler]

I was told also the closer to the riser the better.

[kansas stik man]

i use a hanging rack saves me space in the man cave.  i figure if the guy that built my bow hangs them than its just fine for me to as well.

[UrbanDeerSlayer]

What if you don't have a rack?  Is it safe to lay them on their sides on a table?  That's what I've been doing, until I get around to building a rack anyway.

[JamesKerr]

I don't own a rack I just store my laminated bows either in a bow sock or soft case propped in the corner or hang them from a peg vertically. I don't think you will see any adverse effect to bows by hanging them anyway you please.

[pamike]

interesting......never even thought about it

[Scooter Trash]

http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s157/WIDOWWALLERS/WidoWWalers%20portraits/Scooter%20Trash/?action=view¤t=DSC002392.jpg


Belly up for glass bows,  back up for self bows.

[Petrovic]

I hang mine in the cupboard from the nock. I figure that the nocks can deal with forces while being shot, that hanging the bow by them would be no dramas.