I have just gotten a firehose clamp and I am unsure of how much space I need between my upper and lower forms. I'm building an ASL. My form is 1.5" wide and I will have some 20ga steel for a pressure strip. Thanks in advance.

I have basically the same set up for my ASL form. I have 1-3/8" space for the fire hose and pressure strip. Works fine for me.

1 1/2" I'm thinking mine is. Give Bingham a call. I'll go check mine too. JF

I should clarify, that would be 1-3/8" from bottom form to top form which also includes the lams.

OK my hybrid is a 1" between top and bottom. ASL form is probably 1 1/2" because of thicker stack. Hybrid runs a thinner wider limb. So on the average you want an inch wider than your average limb thickness. JF

Just curious, but why do you want to use a firehose system? I know it's popular, but it's cumbersome, and not anymore effective than systems that are mush less difficult to set up.

Any loss of pressure in the hose after inflation allows for the glue joint to opne up, and fot the laminations to seperate. ALso, the air in the hose expands as it gets hot from the curing oven changing the pressure appled to the system.

What's an ASL?

Jason

Jason, A= American, S= Semi, L= longbow a term that dates back to Howard Hill and the style bow he made famous.

Thnx 60 Gunner!

Bodyman and fdp both have it right.

Bodyman on his space calculations and fdp on his suggestion to simplify. I use both but Lean towards the rubber band style because it's easier to set up and more versatile.

If you go hose, make the hose a bit long and cut a hole in the oven that the hose will protrude through. You can seal it up with a rag. That way you can monitor the pressure throughout the cook.

I had one experience where checking the pressure 15 minutes after going in the oven there was about five#. Luckily I quickly ascertained that the valve was slightly loose in the plug. Probably from handling the form and hose with the inflator attached. It's easy to inadvertently rotate the inflator hose and back it out. The hose was pumped up and watched carefully throughout the process. Bow was OK but coulda been an expensive loss.

ASL dated back before Howard Hill guys. The ASL wasn't Howard's design.

No, but im pretty sure he he coined the term.

Maybe because his early bows that he patented were bamboo laminates that were then shaped like an ELB (English long bow). I think ASL came along when he began to laminate boo into more of a flat bow design.

Thanks for the help everyone. I want to use a fire hose because it provides a very even pressure. I plan to inflate my hose and submerge it in water to check for any leaks.

You got it Greg, always check your hose each time for leaks. You'll do fine. Write down what you inflate to and what it is when it comes out of the oven. I inflate to 60psi. JF

Actually there's no evidence that he did. It was first termed the American Flatbow. Then somewhere along the line it became American Semi Longbow. Don't even know that Howard gave it that designation at all.

I think I actually saw it somewhere but can't verify it.

FDP: Howard named and discussed both designs in his book, Hunting the Hard Way. Others may have used the term before Hill, but he certainly popularized it.

I don't recall him mentioning the American Flatbow Orion. Although I could be mistaken. I do recall references to the short Native American bows.

After I graduated from rubber band to firehose I was astounded how much faster, cleaner, and more accurate the hose is. There is a reason pros use air pressure.

David, I can name a number of pro's that don't use an air hose. And they've been building bows a long time. It's a matter of what works best for a persons set up, and what they have the most confidence in as anything else.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here