One of the first things you will need to do, now that you have
the bow rough shaped, is to file in the string nocks. I use a
6" round file to accomplish this task. Although this is
a simple process, it is very important that the nocks be well
designed. Drawing #1 shows both correct and incorrectly shaped
nocks. The bottom of both nocks must be straight across
from each other and have the same depth, otherwise uneven
string pressure is applied which will cause the limbs to be out
of alignment and in extreme cases, damage the limb.
Drawing #2 represents the edge of the limb and shows 2 different
angles. An incorrect angle such as the one pictured, creates
a severe pressure point which will cause excessive string wear.
If some of the newer string materials such as fastflight are
being used, it can also cause the string to damage the limbs.
This is especially true in recurves.
Once the nocks are in place, I will then glue on the limbtip
overlays and reshape the top of the string groove. When final
shaping the nocks, try to design them so that the string is held
in the shape shown in drawing #3. Notice that the string shape
is rounded and has no sharp corners. Again sharp corners can
cause sting wear and possible limb damage. The final step is
to sand the grooves smooth and round off any sharp area.
