Barebow tab (Fairweather-inspired design) *UPDATE*

I wanted an alternative for my excellent Fairweather barebow tab, but less big and bulky *Update* added SM, L, XL model
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updated January 15, 2025

Description

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Update 15 jan. 25
updated SM

error corrected

 

 

Update 20 nov. 24
added SM, L  and XL model

 

I am an avid archer, archery-coach and -trainer. I shot many styles of bows (recreational and competitive) but mainly stick to barebow. Wisdom comes with years, I guess ^^

I recently bought a Fairweather Barebow-tab. These are excellent quality and the used leather is superior to all other types of leather I ever used: does the job as it should .. and VERY! consitent.

However, I have smaller hands and found the tab a bit “bulky”, big in my hand. Therefor it was not perfectly easy to use the stringwalking-technique, AND to bend my fingers easely around the string. I thought a slimmer finger-ring would help to position the tab deeper into the hand.

As I discussed this FW-tab with other archers, I noticed that more then one had the same idea: the FW-tab being a bit too bulky to be perfect.
So that's why tried my own version of this design with the goals being:

  • keeping the excellent leather-mounting-idea
  • being slimmer
  • being able to be redesigned, adaptable to any size anyone asks me (thus using Fusion360 in which I can easely alter dimentions)
  • using a slimmer finger-ring
  • being able to print this in metal-infused-PLA so to make this tab a bit heavier, which gives a natural fun feeling when in use.
  • with very visibly clear markings (I use glasses to read but not when shooting) … but also the posibility to have no permanent markings and to provide a bit of tape and make your own markings.

I designed this in fusion360 and made different sizes of the ring.

As I went on designing I also made …

  • A lefty and a righty
  • One for 3mm of leather, one for 4mm of leather
  • A design which can be mounted using regular m3-bolts and nuts 
    and a design wich uses threaded m3-inserts (which I prefer myself).
    You can find these on https://cnckitchen.store/
    (credits to Stefan from CncKitchen for his feedback on these: https://www.cnckitchen.com/blog/threaded-inserts-for-3d-prints-cheap-vs-expensive )
  • A template for the leather. 



    IMPORTANT:
  • Check out the fairweather-website. All my credits to them. I would never have discovered the excellent quailities of kangooroo-leather without this tab.
    https://www.fairweatherarchery.com/
  • Also, check out their page on sizing:
    https://www.fairweatherarchery.com/sizing
    (bottom of that page)
  • !!! I noticed that the FW-rings are a tiny bit wider then the marked dimension.
    A Fairweather 22-ring actually has an inner diameter of 22,5mm
    My rings are actually the correct diameter, so a 22 is exactly 22mm
    I guess this may be due to different manufacturing: 3d-printing versus molding ??
  • The rings should be printed out of TPU.
    I printed my rings out of Fiberlogy Fiberflex 40D and they came out perfectly “rubbery”
    Printing the rings out of PLA is absolutely a bad idea. They will break too easely. (I tested it). Maybe PETG might do better? TPU it is for me.
  • you will NEED to use supports when printing the rings … and TPU-supports are a pain to remove to my experience, I know :( 
    Pitty. 
  • No supports needed for any of the other parts
  • I printed these using different colors of PLA to highlight the markings … but found it far more easely to just print them in once color .. and highlight the markings with a sharpy.


LEGEND:

  • Base stands for the bottom-plate
    Top stands for the top-plate
  • 703 stand for length of 70mm, leather-thickness: 3mm
    704 stand for length of 70mm, leather-thickness: 4mm
  • nuts: mounted using bolts and regular m3-nuts
    If nothing mentioned, then intended to use threaded inserts (see  pictures) as I did with my prototype.
  • Markings
    no markings … duh?
  • LBB stands for LudoBareBow

All feedback is strongly appreciated.

Also, I also made some personalised designs for a couple of  (internet-)friends, collegue-coaches :)

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The author marked this model as their own original creation.

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