If I sight down the upper bow tip and string line, the centerline of the bow/string/tips remain straight but my upper limb wanders left (while holding it towards target) or if viewed unstrung laid flat on the floor, facing me by a few degrees. Does this affect the bow in any way? Bow shoots ok but it's a bit slow for the arrows I worked up, and will try a lighter arrow next. Seems to shoot straight though. I'd like to add a calf hair rest to the shelf to protect it. Like on my BW bows, and is that ok?
Snaky bows can be difficult to tiller and don't always lay out perfectly. A few pics would help understand exactly what the situation is. Generally speaking with a selfbow if the string crosses the handle and both limbs are bending evenly and together the bow should shoot well.
Adding a rug on the shelf should adversely affect the shooting but you might have to adjust the nocking point.
I think it shoots fine after adding the small BW calf hair rest trimmed to fit. Limbs bend evenly pretty certain, I have more issue with the square grip than anything else. Bow pushes counterclockwise at release unless you choke it like a snake.
i'll take some pics. Thanks for the response.
You should be able to round over the handle to make it more comfortable. Looking forward to seeing the pics.
I think radius the corners of the shelf, under the leather wrapped handle which I can hopefully get off unless the glue is serious stuff. I could also ask the bowyer who made it if removal at the handle will affect anything. i'd think not. I have rather large hands and i've never had a grip bother me from BW or my JD Berry bows.
I also notice quite a bit of handshock in my grip fingers, also something I have never experienced ever.
You could also pack out the belly and/or the back with leather or cork and that could make it more comfortable by eliminating the edges.
This is how I do it with leather.
(https://i.imgur.com/BNrHMle.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3LTD56V.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/YPDo6tA.jpg)
this is how it looks finished with a basket cane wrap and a Ferret's floppy Rest, my all time favorite rest.
Good idea!
The bow maker said you can round it at the back not the face.
First off I think what you are calling the face is the back of the bows, away from the shooter. The inside is the belly, towards the shooter.
If it is a bending handle bow it would be unsafe to round off the back edges too much but a little shouldn't hurt. If it is a non-bending handle the handle is not working and is basically dead wood so rounding it off shouldn't be a problem.
Will you post pics of the bow?
Here is the bowyer's response....."HI, you should be fine. Unless the bow bends through the handle, the handle doesn't do any work. I shape the handles to fit my hand and of course that is not going to work for everybody. I just wouldn't do much work on the face of the bow because that needs to be one single growth ring the length of the bow....."
What he is calling the face is actually the back of the bow and even in a bendy handle bow rounding off the edges should adversely affect the bow. Back in the 40s and 50s it was suggested to round all edges to the radius of a pea. That is about a 1/4" radius.
Pic of bow on floor, it rocked slightly to the right.
Will you show a side view braced and a full draw pic? So far she looks good. :thumbsup:
Quote from: Pat B on June 10, 2026, 07:49:08 AMWill you show a side view braced and a full draw pic? So far she looks good. :thumbsup:
Brace height.
Very nice. The outer limbs could open up a little more but other than that she looks very good.
I have a problem with the visuals of R/D bows where the outer 1/3 of the limbs don't bend. That might just be my idiosyncrasy.
I still hate the grip, it's square and if I choke the hell out of it like a snake my arrows are accurate. Gotta do something about it. Hand shock is bad too unless I choke the grip to death.
We would also need an unbraced side profile as a baseline before an accurate assessment could be made. What is its starting point?