Bow maintenance

To live long your bow you need to follow some rules:

1. The bow is personal. You do not give and do not try. If you can not refuse the request for a trial you do pull your arrows but, absolutely, do not stretch the empity bow.
2. Strictly avoid overstretching. Do not open the bow over your natural extension. The wood undergoes a stress which greatly reduces its reactivity and consequently the speed of output of the arrow. When exaggerated could destroy or break the bow.
3. Arrows: the ratio weight arrow/bow must be no less than 8 or 9 grains for pound. With a weight of less arrow the effect it is equivalent to a empity release. For example, a 35lbs bow can support a 22 grams (c.a. 330 grains) arrow.
4.  The bow are varnished with a shellac coating. Is a natural substance that allows the passage of humidity from the wood to the environment and protects good but not from rain. You can further protect with good furniture wax or carnauba wax. Shellac with the use tends to wear out but you can easily recover without difficulty. Just pass a cloth moistened slightly to return the bow as new. On request you can make more effective treatments for the weather by treating the arch with acrylic or epoxy coatings. In these cases, no maintenance will be required.
5. When bend the bow is necessary to open it in half three or four times to settle the rope. Absolutely avoid to stretch it to your extension without an arrow.
6. When you bend the bow to shoot the arrow tip to remain in hooking up to a maximum of four seconds. Beyond this time the wood goes into suffering and reactivity decreases.
7. The new bows need a good running in to better express their performance.
   For the first shooting sessions follow these indications:
   Prepare the bow as described above.
   First day. Pull the first 50 arrows with a maximum length of 26 "and let the bow rest until the next day.
   Second day. Pull again 40 arrows with 26 "extension and another 40 with 26" 1/2 extension.
   Third day. Shoot 10 more arrows at 26 ", 40 at 26" 1/2 and another 50 at 27 ".
   From the fourth day onwards gradually increase the opening of the bow until you reach your using draw.