Got my first real ilf setup today that's I am piecing together myself. I wanted a 60in longbow so I got a second hand dryad epic 17in riser and a set of second hand centaur medium longbow limbs. Should have made a 60in bow but a 57in string hardly braces the bow. I twisted the string way up to get it to about a 7in brace. Next to my 56in emery stik it only appears to be about 2 inches longer. So I made about a 58in bow?

Simply measure the bow, notch to notch straight through the riser on belly side. Then get a string 3" shorter than that. You have to measure since limb matching to risers is a normally a variable depending on the sources. Measuring is a simple fix and something that should be done on any ILF that is of mixed parts.

Thanks George!

Another thing that works when you're piecing things together is to measure from nock to nock (in a straight line) on the back side of the bow.

Now do I need to order a string with some room to twist for backing limbs off or tightening? Won't that change brace?

Twisting any string will change brace, flemish or endless loop. How much depends on the twists. An endless will only get so long (untwisted completely). You can only shorten it down and then lengthen back to original.

The AMO standard is a string should be 3" shorter than the actual length of the bow. GDS is correct that you measure the length on the belly side of the bow. Follow the contour of the limbs, but go straight across the riser. The length will be what it will be.

Here's a picture. I'll also post a chart that will be a quick reference for ILF bow lengths.

I'm a bit puzzled why your string is too long. Anyway... measure your riser from limb bolt to limb bolt, then add 5". That will be the length of your riser.

Here's the chart I put together some time back. Some folks find it helpful.

Allen from ten ring helped me figure out what I need. I know about twisting and all that I'm not new to any of that I'm just new to ilf and being able to adjust my limbs. Allen is the man! Best strings there is. My problem here was I expected a length but due to one brand riser and another brand limbs it threw a wrench into it all

The wonderful world of ILF is not for the faint of heart. Although it purports to be a standard not everyone follows the standard, or interprets it the same way. The really tricky part is trying to sort out what draw weight a limb/riser combo might end up at. I have pretty much decided to leave the ILF world behind.

DDave

It will take a little more frustration to make me leave it behind. I'm actually enjoying figuring it all out and playing around with it

I'm with you sheepdog. However, I also have found that actual AMO length is iffy. And as you say, Allen at Ten Ring is an excellent source for this and also, as you said, his strings are outstanding.

This ILF stuff is really fun.

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