Help setting up a bow
12-15-2009, 09:41 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Alaska
Posts: 368
Help setting up a bow
My wife and I just moved and our new house has a basement. I decided to turn it into my hunting cavern. I intend to set up my personal little workshop down there with a paper tuner, press, vise, everything because I am tired of paying other people to do work on my wife and I bows. There is only one problem. I dont know how to work on a bow. I am very knowledgeable on how the bow works but I have never actually done the work myself. My question is, is there a "archery bible" that would tell me everything I need to know to start practicing. Thanks.
12-15-2009, 11:20 AM
#2
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: The semi-rural burbs of Cleveland, Ohio
Posts: 5
I am also relatively new to doing my own tuning and I've got to say that the posts stuck to the top of the "Technical" thread here are awesome. They are more than enough to get you started. The fact is, you know you need a press and a vice, and you probably know you need a few other things as well. Thats 90% of the battle. On top of that, you're interested in doing the work yourself - to me that says you've got some tinkering/mechanical skills, which adds another 5%. As soon as you make your first turn of a limb bolt or lock your bow into a vice or press you'll realize you absolutely know what you're doing.
Be forewarned though, you will spend the rest of your life chasing perfection. I've been at for only a year or so and I already am aware of this. However, the time and care you take to tune your own bow will undoubtedly result in a more accurate, higher performing weapon than you have right now.
As the Nike ads used to say - Just do it!
Be forewarned though, you will spend the rest of your life chasing perfection. I've been at for only a year or so and I already am aware of this. However, the time and care you take to tune your own bow will undoubtedly result in a more accurate, higher performing weapon than you have right now.
As the Nike ads used to say - Just do it!
12-15-2009, 11:38 AM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Most start with the Easton tuning guide. Its usually free and very informative.
What I suggest is tinkering. Get a paper setup, get a bareshaft setup. Move your nocking point up and down and see the effects. See the effects of clearance issues. Move your rest left and right to extremes and see the effects. Shoot heavily spined arrows, shoot weak spined arrows. Shoot just right arrows. Add wieght to your points, take away weight. Each time noting the tear, or arrow reaction if bare shaft. Put some Bh's on and play with that.
One thing I did was take an old PSE I had and decided to take the bow down all the way. I changed the strings out, greased the axles, retuned. I learned a lot on that bow.
Another thing I did was volunteer at a shop to do some work. For free. Bad news is most of the work is prime hunting time. But experience here cannot be bought.
What I suggest is tinkering. Get a paper setup, get a bareshaft setup. Move your nocking point up and down and see the effects. See the effects of clearance issues. Move your rest left and right to extremes and see the effects. Shoot heavily spined arrows, shoot weak spined arrows. Shoot just right arrows. Add wieght to your points, take away weight. Each time noting the tear, or arrow reaction if bare shaft. Put some Bh's on and play with that.
One thing I did was take an old PSE I had and decided to take the bow down all the way. I changed the strings out, greased the axles, retuned. I learned a lot on that bow.
Another thing I did was volunteer at a shop to do some work. For free. Bad news is most of the work is prime hunting time. But experience here cannot be bought.
Last edited by bigcountry; 12-15-2009 at 11:46 AM.
12-16-2009, 08:38 PM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: central Wisconsin
Posts: 479
I might be able to help. I owned my own archery shop and taught 3 state champions. (I was two time Wisconsin state champion many years ago).
In any case you'll need a bow square to measure the distance from the rest to the nocking point. Start about 1/2" above center (higher is better).
You'll need a bale to shoot into and some freezer paper or newspaper hanging down 6' in front of the bale. The idea is to stand or kneel (so you are shooting squarely into the paper) also about 6' in front of the paper.
The goal is to get a round tear through the paper. The paper also shows which way the arrow is "kicking" if you are hitting the rest or the knocking point is not perfect. Sometimes you can't get rid of a left - right tear without moving the nocking point up.
When you get the nice hole through the paper all that is left is using proper shooting form (back muscles, relaxed hands and arms) and you're set. A bowsling (for relaxed hand) is a must.
In any case you'll need a bow square to measure the distance from the rest to the nocking point. Start about 1/2" above center (higher is better).
You'll need a bale to shoot into and some freezer paper or newspaper hanging down 6' in front of the bale. The idea is to stand or kneel (so you are shooting squarely into the paper) also about 6' in front of the paper.
The goal is to get a round tear through the paper. The paper also shows which way the arrow is "kicking" if you are hitting the rest or the knocking point is not perfect. Sometimes you can't get rid of a left - right tear without moving the nocking point up.
When you get the nice hole through the paper all that is left is using proper shooting form (back muscles, relaxed hands and arms) and you're set. A bowsling (for relaxed hand) is a must.
