Big Box Store dry-fired my bow while performing a tune-up... Now What????
So let me start from the beginning. So two nights ago I was performing a little maintenance on my bow with a BowMedic portable press and basically I had just started putting tension on limbs (like maybe 3-4 ratchets) when it suddenly slipped from one of the limb tips and fell to rest on the yoke. I carefully unpressed it and looked it over. All appeared in working order and decided it would be best if I just left it alone for the night and then brought it in and had a BowTech press it in one of their professional presses and just take the safe route. In the morning I shoot about 10-15 sets of 5 arrows from 20yds out to 90yds with no problems. So I wrap up and head there and I tell him that I needed to get my peep aligned. So he starts pressing the bow and starts removing the string and I mentioned to him that I wanted him to check out the axle while he had it pressed just to make sure everything was in working order and I told him about the incident the night before and so he obliged and he started removing some of this clips from the cam and checking the straightness of the axle itself and then proceeded to reassemble the axle and put the string back on. Then when he put it in the draw board to check the timing. He starts cranking out back and gets just past half draw when the string suddenly derails and makes the forbidden noise that makes any archers heart sink... So we look it over and I quickly noticed one of the c-clips was not in the spot it belonged and was loose rattling around on the axle, which means that he didn't seat the clip correctly causing the bearings to slip from their housing, causing the cam to jolt crooked, and the string to derail. He and I both knew he was at fault and he started to get real shaky and started breaking the bow down and re assembling it from the beginning very carefully inspecting every piece to make sure everything was in working order. He completed assembly and re tuned it completely and I was on my way... Now I'm wondering how I should go about this because who knows what underlying damage this incident could cause down the road. The tech is a really knowledgeable and a nice guy so I know the ball may be in my court, just looking for a suggestion on which play I should run... Thanks in advance
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795 Posts
He didn't derail it, the limb adapter came off one limb. he was worried because of the angle the cam would have been at might have damaged the axel. I'd take it to a pro shop not mention a word of the past and have an inspection. Some guys will tell you that you need everything under the sun, without even thoroughly looking it over.
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4,254 Posts
Mathews doesn't have c-clips; bearings are pressed in to cam and screws mount the axles in the limbs.
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I’d politely ask the store to pay for a string replacement and leave it at that. The bow is probably fine, but the integrity and lifespan of the string is assuredly shortened.
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2,074 Posts
+1 on the pro shop recommendation
I learned to not pull a bow back (even in a draw board) without an arrow nocked. Last month I was checking draw weight with a handheld scale and it exploded. Had I not placed an arrow on the shelf, my new $1100 bow would have been a pile of parts.
I learned to not pull a bow back (even in a draw board) without an arrow nocked. Last month I was checking draw weight with a handheld scale and it exploded. Had I not placed an arrow on the shelf, my new $1100 bow would have been a pile of parts.
Mathews has top hats with set screws I thought that may of been what he was talking about. Admit I never had one apart. But I ve heard the bearings can take a crap if over tightened.
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1,457 Posts
You said he inspected it and reassembled and tuned it! What more are you looking for? If the bow is in perfect working order move on. I wouldn't think any bow of any quality would be hurt from a half draw derail. Just my opinion.
Rocky
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21,466 Posts
Derail does not equal a dry fire, especially if it was secured in a draw board. Chances are if the tech was at fault, he put a cam shim in the wrong place or left one out when reassembling the axle and shims and this allowed too much cam lean while drawing the bow on the board and it derailed from the lean. If the string was not damaged and the cam is straight, chances of their being any other damage is very low.
Personally, if this happened to me, I'd never have left the place until getting some sort of written guarantee stating that if in the next week the limbs split or you find a bend in the cam that they'd cover it to get it fixed. Otherwise there'll always be the question of whether or not you just damaged it and used the convenient timing as an excuse to put it on someone else.
Personally, if this happened to me, I'd never have left the place until getting some sort of written guarantee stating that if in the next week the limbs split or you find a bend in the cam that they'd cover it to get it fixed. Otherwise there'll always be the question of whether or not you just damaged it and used the convenient timing as an excuse to put it on someone else.
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293 Posts
The bows made now are not like the more vertical limb bows of yesterday. You can dry fire them with no damage or minimal damage compared to older bows that break all types of things when dry fired. Keep a eye on it if damage turns up go talk to him. If he has been in business for a while he will fix it most likely.
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30,623 Posts
OK.....seems as though the OP kind of messed up his own home tuning attempt, so he takes it to a BIG BOX STORE....as noted in the thread title. This is not a "pro" shop from what I have gathered thus far. Cabela's and such do not typically charge for their services, so to a degree you are getting what you pay for. OP....what were your charged for this service? Sounds to me like the plan was to go as cheaply as possible and there were a couple mishaps along the way. Why a box store that is likely working for free to help out a customer would then assume full responsibility for damage has become the expectation is a puzzlement to me??? Is that where you bought the bow? If you don't trust them, then take it to a shop and pay a "pro".....but good luck if they mess up.
Bowtech Realm, Fuse Ultra-Rest, AXT RAK4000, 365 bars, RIP TKOs 300 w/ 50gr& 100g Rage Hypo N/C
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Sorry I was working all day and wasnt aware my thread blew up like this. So let me start by clearing up a few things... 1. It's a BowTech realm. 2. It was a scheels. 3. I've dealt with this tech numerous times and have nothing but good things to say about the guy. 4. I'm not trying to shirk responsibility for anything onto someone else. I told him straight away what happened and he said he would look it over. I know when I handed it to him it was in working order, when he returned it it was in working order, I was just wondering what I should do IF something were to happen in the near future that would've stemmed from this incident. Not looking to get a new bow out of the deal, just advice of what some other like-minded individuals might do... I mean when he started getting all nervous and shaky I told him "Calm down, take a breath. It's all good, **** happens." And once he realized I wasn't gonna lose my cool he started to calm down. Like I said he's a very knowledgeable and helpful tech. It was just an accident. All I wanted to know was what to do if things were to go haywire in near future.
Bowtech Realm, Fuse Ultra-Rest, AXT RAK4000, 365 bars, RIP TKOs 300 w/ 50gr& 100g Rage Hypo N/C
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I wasn't going as cheap as possible. Few months ago I started building my own bow strings as a hobby and my last set finally got to the point where it was worth swapping them out. So I took my latest set that I had strung up for my bow and installed them using a press from a reputable brand and the only way the press would work is if I had it set within an inch from the tip of the limb so it would clear the cam. I even took it as far as taking a piece of paracord and going up around where the limb bolt goes to the riser as a added precaution and it's still managed to slip off on the one side. The only thing I was trying to do was put shrink tube on my nock sets for my speed nocks that I had just installed. Wasn't trying to do any tuning to that extent. Lesson learned and I will be buying a real press in the near future.
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It sounds like you have a background and working relationship with the guy, and seem to trust him, so I'd just roll with it.
If something happens, go back in and talk to him. It sounds like he's the kind of guy that you can work something out with.
If nothing happens, carry on.
Just like we used to do in the pre-internet days.
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Even if something did go wrong with it in the future, there would be no way to prove it had anything to do with the derail. It is quite possible that a limb splinters or something and it not have anything to do with the de-rail. Also, if you suspected a derail of doing damage that shows up in the future, how would you know whether it was from his mishap or yours? To steal your quote, "**** happens". I would have been more focused on looking it over very thoroughly right after the incident. Just don't loose sight of the reason you took it to the "Big Box Store" in the first place......Your screw up. Consider getting the proper press for your bow if you plan to press your bow. A bow good press will be one of your best archery investments.
+1
Hoyt Hyper Force Hoyt CRX 32. Trophy ridge Easton FMJs
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Sounds like the tech is a good guy and would work with you if something happened because he was there when it derailed. He doesn’t sound like someone that would turn his back on a honest customer
Just my 2 cents
Just my 2 cents
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