The word is involute and can be used to descripe the curved shape of the limb on a drawn bow. If you want to know what it means look it up!! I don't know how to describe it.

It doesn't sit well in the context of a bow. The involute is describing the curves that are made when there is a tether of an object, as in tetherball. Not of the arc created when a bow is strung with two tether points. Using a tetherball as an example, the subsequent circles made as the ball wraps around the tether post are called involute.

Geaorge, when I make a form to heat treat a bow in or draw a pic of my full draw tiller I use a string with a pencil wrapped around something round and then I draw my line as it unwinds. Thatype of curve I like to see.

Its the antithesis of convolute, the present descriptor opposite evolute, and clearly defines the most interesting part of a shapely girls top.

Just sayin'

Gotcha. That explains it better badger. Thank you.

Badger, when I did the bowyer interview for TBM years ago of Dave Paxton of Talon longbows, he described his limb configuration in exactly those terms. I think he said he got the concept from Robert P. Elmer's book "Target Archery". The idea is pretty clear if you think of tying a pencil to one side of a can and then strike an arc. the curve will have a diminishing radius. It was that curve he wanted to duplicate in is bow limb.

David, when I first did that I was building a giant bow for a discovery channel show. I was actually just one long limb that would be used as a catapult. I think it was like 22 feet long. I wanted a nice attractive curve so when I built my form I used a string wrapped around a drum. I started close to the drum and kept going around making several circles. Once I did that I simply selected the 22 ft section that best applied to what i was doing.

It takes a real good eye and slow careful technique to accomplish that shape on a self bow, but with laminated bows it can easily be engineered into the tapers.

Interesting...

In the late 60's-early 70's Gibson guitars added a little bump not eh back of the headstock where it joins the neck because they were having lots of them snap off when dropped.

They called it a "Volute". It's an architectural term...Greek maybe? (fell asleep a lot in school). Like a 'scroll' form on columns. Also used by Violin makers.

Last time I used "involute" was designing gears.

while unwinding --wouldn't it be an "outvolute"?HA!

Am I alone in not understanding any of this?

R.

I am with you Yorktown5. Duhhhhhh . Lol

Any mechanic worth his salt gets it !... :)

That's good to know SB--- Glad I am that us poets don't have to worry over such things 8^) we just grab our bows, arrows and shoot!

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