Selfbow Question

[sgrogg]

I have a 66", 67# osage selfbow that's way to heavy for me to shoot anymore.  If I were to leave it strung for a few days, or longer, would it lose an appreciable amount of weight?  Would it become less efficient?  I've heard that the Northern Mist Shelton (string follow bow) is about 5 fps slower than the Classic.  Would I see a similar loss of performance or would it be a lot more?

[Osagetree]

In my opinion, no on the weight and yes on the other, but depending on tiller quality. And I have no clue about the latter.... my opinion is it's hard to compare two selfbow unless they come from the same tree with equal desine.

I would consider finding someone to try and simply reduce the limbs a bit to meet your desired weight. I've actually taken the backing of an osage bow down a ring or two to lighten a bow. Only had to re-tiller slightly.

[Osagetree]

[wingnut]

Leaving it strung is not the solution.  In fact, you might end up messing up a perfectly good selfbow.  I'd either rework it like Osagetree said or sell/trade it for a lighter one.

Mike

[Bear]

Rework it. It's a great way to cut your teeth on selfbow work.

[shamus]

If I were to leave it strung for a few days, or longer, would it lose an appreciable amount of weight? Would it become less efficient?  

Leaving a selfbow stung for long periods of time will ruin it. The bow will take excessive set as the wood cells will be crushed and damaged from the prolonged strain. Fiberglass doesn't have memory, but wood does.

Reducing the weight is easy. What weight do you want it at?

To reduce weight, you need to remove wood. If the tiller is fine, then take a cabinet scraper and give each limb 20 full passes on the belly side of each limb, then check the weight and tiller.

If the tiller gets thrown off, then you have to correct for that (in that case, things get tricky). If the tiller stays "in tune" you can continue to take 20 full scrapes off each limb with the scraper until it feel right for you.

[Tree man]

Shamus'method is dandy with one caveat/addendum. After each adjustment, assuming the tiller is still okay, draw it 20 times before weighing and double checking tiller. Every minute wood removal shifts the neutral plane slightly and changes the stresses on the wood. It has to be drawn a few times to "settle in".

[shamus]

Shamus'method is dandy with one caveat/addendum. After each adjustment, assuming the tiller is still okay,  

absolutely. I hope I made that clear in my explanation.  

[FEIK77]

Definitely don't leave it strung up it will most likely ruin it.

[gordonf]

Go to the bowyers forum. I'm sure someone would reduce the weight for you by retillering. And if you can't find someone close let me know and I will. Don't leave it strung for long periods of time, you'll ruin the bow.

[Stefan]

Hello

[Stefan]

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