Has anyone reverse strung a selfbow with a long string before sinew backing it to get about 3" of reflex? Will hide glue and sinew at draw weight to the bow.

"Has anyone reverse strung a selfbow with a long string before sinew backing it to get about 3" of reflex? ".....folks been doing it for 100's of years.

It CAN add draw weight if the bow is constructed correctly to begin with. The tiller is such that the addition of the sinew doesn't compress the belly of the bow and cause it to take excessive set and so on.

In other word's...it is going to depend on how much reflex is left after you string it and shoot it.

Thank you.

I would think clamping the handle down with blocks under the limbs would be easier & the string wouldn't be in the way. >>>----> Ken

I accidentally strung one backwards and broke it. Broke my heart too. It was a red oak board with perfect grain I inherited from my father of eternal memory. Jawge

Not sure how sinew is going to compress a belly and cause set no matter what the design.

I believe he wants it to reflex & the sinew would go on the back. I believe that would hold some reflex in likely not all. It should also increase the draw weight some. If I understand correctly. Hopefully some of the selfbow experts will come along. If not go for it. >>>----> Ken

Heat flip the tips. If bow is longer than 64" I don't see no advantage. The extra wt. Will slow the bow.

Clamping the handle down would block the ability to sinew across the grip.

Reverse bracing is the go to method and the string isn't in the way to any great degree.

Got it.

Blocks under the limbs and i use string to tie down handle and just lay the sinew over the string pulling down the handle

Reverse stringing when sinew-backing is not a problem: Mass near the fast-moving tips slows performance. The last several inches of the limb doesn't need to bend, so make that area narrower and a touch thicker, so it will be lighter/faster. And since sinew is heavier than wood, sinew at and near the fast-moving tips robs performance, so feather the sinew out to zero before reaching the nocks, this also eliminating the string-in-the way problem. 

I’ve seen Ed Beadman sinew back selfbows with so much reflex you’d swear it was at a full draw unstrung. Often times as the sinew dries it will pull more reflex in the unstrung profile.

A backwards strung bow will pull in enough more reflex as the sinew dries to loosen the string.

Now getting those bows to brace could be a very interesting challenge.

I know Ed uses a stringer

Bjrogg

PS it would still make me nervous as the belly is not designed for tension

I clamped the handle in my bench vise then put 4" blocks under the tips before sinewing the bow. Left it like that for 2 weeks to let sinew cure some but it started getting cold out in my garage. Now it's in my closet with belly side down curing some more. So far it has held about 2 1/2" of reflex.

Curious if it affects cast.Sounds like an interesting project.

It has essentially the same affect as backset/reflex in a glass laminated bow.

The string follow is remembered by the wood now we'll see the power of sinew

I misread I thought he was trying to counteract string follow

heating the reflex in, seems to work a bit better for me,, have done both ways,,

With out the sinew it weight 52# @ 28". I stopped at 20" it weight 45# if I would have kept going and it would have gained 3# per inch it would be 69# so now I have to take some weight off and hopefully keep the tiller.

You can do that way. I use a 4 inch reflex form ,and heat treat the belly after floor tiller.

I take it out of the form, and clamp it in a vise at the handle, and sinew back it.

The bow is only 58" non the reason I sinew backed it was because 1 limb has a hole the size of my middle finger in it. I feathered the sinew at the tips and the hole is just at the beginning of the limb flares. Shot it last week and its a quick little bow.now I'm contemplating drilling and filing out the sinew that's over the hole. If it holds together I'll back it with snakeskins.

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