String follow

Berube · February 24, 2011, 04:39:00 PM

Any of you have comments about longbow with string follow. Is is good or not.
Thanks to all

Kevin L. · February 24, 2011, 06:40:00 PM

I've only had one, a Sunset Hill by Nate Steen, but it gave up nothing on performance and accuracy to my straight and setback Hills. Very smooth bow, gave it to a buddy of mine as a way of thanking him for some help he gave me. My next new Hill will probably be a string follow as well.

far rider · February 24, 2011, 06:58:00 PM

I just wish I new what it was.

john fletch · February 24, 2011, 08:53:00 PM

String follow is when the bow will start to set in the bend from the string tension. This is usually caused by crysaling of the belly wood.

I believe that any bow with wood limbs will do a little, and self wood bows are more prone to this.

Often one limb will go worse than the other.
The bow will lose draw weight and the 'tuning' may well go out.

Fixing the problem is difficult on a laminated bow. It can be done fairly easy on a self bow, but the resulting draw weight will go down when the bow is properly tillered and finihed.

February 25, 2011, 02:23:00 AM

John, I think you are talking about "limb set" which is true for some bows, especially those that are not backed by glass. As you have said. over time as they just get tired.

My understanding of "string follow" is that it is purposely built into a bow. The shooting characteristics are supposed to be different from the truly straight stick and the "back set" bows that sometimes lean towards the familiar reflex/deflex configuration.

From what I have heard and read, the string follow bows are much more forgiving but specifics I don't have - don't know till my Hill arrives. :D

There are many of the gang that can give you more specifics. Hopefully they will chime in. I'm really looking forward to shooting that bow!

bicster · February 25, 2011, 05:37:00 AM

I picked up a Northern Mist Shelton about a month ago. It is a string follow HH style design. I can tell no speed difference between it and my HH. There are several things I like about it. First, there is no hand shock what so ever. Second, it is dead silent. Third, the longer brace height enables me to shoot without an armguard. Lastly, I seem to be more consistent with it from day to day.

February 25, 2011, 07:24:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by bicster:
I picked up a Northern Mist Shelton about a month ago. It is a string follow HH style design. I can tell no speed difference between it and my HH. There are several things I like about it. First, there is no hand shock what so ever. Second, it is dead silent. Third, the longer brace height enables me to shoot without an armguard. Lastly, I seem to be more consistent with it from day to day.

Four great reasons why I have one on order!

Rob DiStefano · February 25, 2011, 08:16:00 AM

with american flat longbows ('hill style'), 'belly set' aka 'string follow' is induced into a glass/wood laminated bow to simulate the set that always eventually happens with self and composite bows.

there is a feeling on the release with string follow longbows that i can only best describe as 'soft' and 'forgiving'. some like it, some don't - most do. i do.

more subjective trad archery minutia stuff that borders on anal retentiveness. :D

SpankyNeal · February 25, 2011, 08:33:00 AM

I only order string follow bows now after owning several of each profile. There are many advantages as mentioned above, but I have yet to find a single disadvantage. It is the best Hill profile of all IMHO!

far rider · February 25, 2011, 11:58:00 AM

So, is this a different flex in the limb. I mean, instead of a steady purposeful arch from the top of the riser, there is a second slight angle change partially up the limb? I've noticed by looking at some drawn bows that the limbs seem to flex in 2 spots, the upper a little above the mid point of the limb, and others seem to flow in 1 continuous arch.

Is this a string follow?

February 25, 2011, 12:03:00 PM

FR,
No, the configuration of the limb does not change, just the position of it..string follow is literally building the limbs slightly favoring the belly.

WESTBROOK · February 25, 2011, 12:37:00 PM

This is string follow (on the left)

Eric

SEMO_HUNTER · February 25, 2011, 12:46:00 PM

The one on the left is a perfect example of what many selfbows will look like after about 2 weeks or so of shooting. Unless of course they have been heat treated in the opposite direction to counter act the "Set" that they will take.

I have a 57" flatbow right now that looks nearly identical to the one on the left and it's a bend in the handle style bow. I could try heating it out, but I'm afraid that it may ruin the accuracy of the bow and because I think it would do more harm than good.
As of right now it's a pure joy to shoot and hits where I'm looking, and since I'm not concerned with speed at all I think I'll simply leave it like it is.
With that said, the bow took the string follow or set on it's own, I didn't purposely build it that way.

Here it is strung

Unstrung

far rider · February 25, 2011, 02:21:00 PM

Ah! I see, thanks guys. Didn't mean to hi-jack the thread, but I had been reading a lot about it, and I hate not knowing. So how does this make the bow more smooth at the end of the shot? Is it like increasing the brace, but without the down side of altering the bows design specs?

SEMO_HUNTER · February 25, 2011, 03:29:00 PM

I honestly have no idea on that aspect of the engineering part of it because I'm still fairly new at building them. Somebody like one of the bowyers on here could answer that question better than I could. All I know is my personal experience that if it works and it shoots good, then don't mess with it. I do play around with the brace ht. on my selfbows to find what length brace ht. works better or best with a particular bow and design. They are all a bit different and when making selfbows there are only guidelines and no real hard fast rules, each one has it's own quirks.

AdamH · February 25, 2011, 08:43:00 PM

Do yourself a Favor, Give Steve Turay a call {NorthernMist L/B's} You'll be glad ya did ... Good Luck ...

SpankyNeal · February 25, 2011, 08:58:00 PM

With the string follow there is less tension on the limbs at brace, therefore less energy is transmitted to the bow at the shot. The arrow is also getting a softer push at the point where it is seperating from the string, and this may be one of the contributing factors to the increased accuracy almost everyone reports with these bows. Whatever the science is behind the design, I love'em!

Kid's Pastor · February 26, 2011, 02:21:00 AM

WESTBROOK,

Nice looking bows! Are those Sunset Hills, Northern Mist, Howard Hills, or Miller???

Thanks,
Paul

WESTBROOK · February 26, 2011, 06:39:00 AM

N.M. Shelton & Classic

Eric