I'm not seeing where you get that from the quote mentioned.

The string follow bow sets in a permanent deflex position (towards the string) when unstrung.

Set is when the limbslose the shape theywere put in/original shape. Follow is the amount of deflex that develops from set. You can have set with out follow. If you build a reflexed bow, and it sets some, but not back to a deflex position, you can have set with no follow. In other words, if you put in 2" of reflex and the bow sets to only 1" of reflex after tillering/shooting, you will have 1"set but no deflex. If that same bow develops 3" of set, you will now have 3" of set and 1"follow. They could be the same too. If you have a flat bow and you develop 3" set, you will also have 3" of follow. I hope this makes sense.

Oh yea, it is measured unstrung.

thanks bernie. so as long as my osage bow has some or any reflex, it has no follow. But one could build a deflex bow which also would have X amount of follow? Or very little prestress on the limbs.

I have been reading alot about whipping the ends. My selfbow has alot of handshock, so I was reading about how to design a bow with not handshock.

Whipping the end as in whip tillering or just reflexed? I like to whip tiller some of my r/d designs, but recently have left them un whipped. Im not sure which I like best. I think a Whip tiller gives a little smoother shot, but im just not quite sure if ive sold it to myself. As for hand shock, you can always tapper the ends a little more giveing you a thinner tip.

Ok, you drug me into another question. I thought whipping the ends was basically making the last 8" or so work, and bend. Is that the same as tapering the ends?

Whipping means different things to different people. If you whip tiller, you are making the reflex ends bend a little more than the rest of the limb, creating a whip effect. Whip ends, in some books, means reflex. What I mean by taper the end is to make them thinner. Most people have a measurment, past midlimb, that they use to taper down the tips from. Example, I just finished a bow last night that had limbs that were 1 3/8"wide at the fade. I stayed with this width till I got to 4 " past midlimb, there I tapered down to 1/2". You can go down even thinner or start sooner past midlimb. OR you can have an even taper, or do a pyramid, or paddle,etc. etc. Just make sure you keep enough wood on the belly to tiller it down the the weight you want. I am getting a bow out of the oven tonight that im going to try to make 1" at the fade and have an even taper all the way to the tips, which will be 3/8". I put in about 2" of reflex and about 1" deflex. I might whip tiller it, or keep it R/D through the draw. My concern with this project is Im shooting for 60lbs at 30", so the limbs might end up being thicker than I wanted. I guess Ill see tonight, that is if I can clean all the bow grip 100 off. I got real messy with the glue up. arrrrggggg.

Dad gone burn, I wish I was there to assist you with the bow building. I am having trouble getting my feet wet.

Give it time. I broke 4 or 5 bows before I got down the tillering process. It takes practice and patients. Key is patients. I do warn you, its very addictive.

I was reading that the other night and was hoping they were joking saying I would go thru 10 bows before I made a good one.

Why do you think you broke so many? Just not working the wood enough getting it used to bending? Or cut thru the growth ring?

Any advise on this?