Question

[cooper2003]

Hey guys,

I am new to the site and getting ready to attempt to make my first bow. Its been around 12 years since I shot and been itching to get back into it.

Any ways my question is this.

The poundage how do you make it higher? or can you make it higher once you get to your draw point?

Thanks

[Roy from Pa]

The wider and thicker you make your limbs determines poundage.

[Blackie76]

It's much easier to make your poundage too high and then reduce the thickness of yours limbs to lower it.

If you want to raise the poundage of an existing bow you can 1) pike it or 2) apply a new backing.  Both of these processes are fairly straight forward but I'm sure there are folks here who could describe them much better than I.

[Osagetree]

Blackie the only thing I can think of that you forgot to mention was shorten the bow or add a belly lam.

[KellyG]

Ok clear it up for me please I thought Pike was shortening it. If not what does it mean then please.
Kelly

[Blackie76]

Kelly I thought the same thing.

[George Tsoukalas]

You can't except for sinewing, bambooing  or wood backing it Better to make another and gain experience. I don't like to pike bows. You make them shorter so they may break or gain set of setting any gain un poundage. Jawge

[Osagetree]

Sorry you're right,,, Guess I was thinking of flipping the tips up.

[KellyG]

Joe I was just making sure I was correct that is all. No need to be sorry I am so new to this stuff, I want to make sure what I am learning is correct.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Yes piking is knocking off a bit of length at each tip to gain a few pounds. I always start out longer than I need by a couple inches so I can "pike it" right before final tiller. For some reason I usually miss my target wt. by 3-5 pounds. I'm just kinda lucky that way I guess?      

Adding a wood or bamboo backing will increase the poundage, but in some cases it's nearly impossible to do once the bow is tillered. It all depends on the style your after, a straight profile D curve longbow would be fairly easy to back even after it's tillered. On the other hand, a hybrid reflex/deflex is pretty difficult to back once the shape is glued into it but it can be done. I've done it a couple times with mixed results.

[Roy from Pa]

I don't like piking a bow,  it always changes the tiller.