EASTON TECH TIP 2014-02
NOCKS- THE VITAL CONNECTION
By George Tekmitchov, Easton Sr. Engineer, Goal Product Supervisor
For those who cease to consider it for a second, arrow nocks are fairly superb. These small, plastic elements are anticipated to take the complete power of every shot and transmit that power to the arrow shaft in precisely the identical manner, again and again. They will need to have exact match and flex traits, resist put on from servings, carry out identically in cold and hot conditions- and extra not too long ago, they’re additionally anticipated to defend costly arrows from incoming arrow impacts.
Immediately, premium nocks from firms like Easton and Beiter are a extremely engineered product, utilizing essentially the most superior supplies and processes to make sure high quality and consistency, whereas sustaining extremely tight concentricity and groove alignment tolerances.
TARGET NOCK MATERIALS
From antiquity, nocks have been constructed from substances with good compressive power, so they might stand up to the impulse from the bowstring. Nocks of horn and bone are present in all method of historic archery artifacts from everywhere in the world.
Within the earlier portion of the final century, the nock materials of selection was one of many first synthetic plastics- nitrocellulose. The unique Middleton Mid-Nox of the 1930’s have been constructed from this doubtlessly explosive materials. One of many attention-grabbing traits of those nocks was they have been made one by one in a single mildew, with a complete of 6 to eight molds in use at any given time.
The method was easy, and handbook. A small cylinder of extruded nitrocellulose was positioned within the mildew cavity, immersed in a container of heated oil, and a tapered plunger can be positioned excessive of the cylinder. This plug was pressed down into the cavity, forcing the plastic cylinder to kind across the nock tang. This barely dangerous course of (the fabric would often detonate!) produced a wonderfully formed nock with the benefit that each nock coming from the precise mildew was similar. After the plunger was pressed down, your entire die was cooled off, after which the completed nock could possibly be ejected. Clearly, this meant that every nock took numerous time to supply, however the superiority of uniform nocks made the expense and energy worthwhile. The nitrocellulose materials additionally lent itself to an incredible number of colours and patterns and “marbled” or “glowing” nocks have been fairly common at the moment.
One other distinctive attribute of the fabric used was that when the nock required alternative, the archer merely touched an open flame- as from a match or lighter- to the nock, which might ignite and burn so shortly that it wouldn’t harm the wooden or aluminum shaft, leaving nearly nothing behind however superb, powdery ash that simply cleaned.
Within the 1930’s, Doug Easton developed the primary aluminum nocks. These have been sturdy and light-weight, however required lots of hand ending, and in use they’d one vital downside. Even a slight affect from one other arrow may “burr” the nock, and if the archer didn’t discover, this might lead to a reduce bowstring on a subsequent shot.
Within the 1960’s, Easton, having acquired the Mid-Nox model from Middleton, launched a extra superior plastic for the Mid-Nox, Cycoloy, a mix of polycarbonate and ABS plastic. This was the primary use of a contemporary engineering plastic in a nock. The transfer to injection-molded Cycoloy was an incredible enchancment in precision, power and the sturdiness of the nock, and it introduced the value of nocks down as properly, with excessive quantity manufacturing methods.
One other necessary growth was that of Butyrate plastic primarily based nocks beginning within the early 60’s. Bjorn Bengtson of Sweden was pal of Doug Easton and he developed what finally turned the world customary for goal and looking nocks, the well-known Bjorn nock, within the early 60’s. This was one of many first profitable “snap motion” nocks, with a mildew designed to open axially to the nock, permitting the nock groove to taper inward from the string entrance to the string gap. The Mid-Nox had a little bit of this fascinating attribute as properly, as a consequence of an inclination for the ears to maneuver inward after cooling, however this was a deliberate characteristic of the Bjorn nock which continues to be present in most nock designs as we speak.
This robust, exact butyrate plastic nock, even as we speak, is a premium selection for shooters utilizing aluminum arrows with conventional swaged and floor nock tapers.
Additional enhancements in nocks took longer strides within the late 1980’s, when Jim Easton and his group developed a collection of nocks to work with the then-new Easton ACE shaft. Easton used robust, light-weight and exact Bayer polycarbonate to supply the unique A/C/E Customary nock and E-nock, each of which have been designed to suit contained in the A/C/E arrow shaft. Not lengthy after this, Werner Beiter, a precision German mold-maker, developed insert nocks for aluminum arrows and his personal distinctive model of a polycarbonate nock to suit contained in the A/C/E shaft.
Immediately, practically all aggressive shooters in world competitors use both an Easton or a Beiter nock, however there are various extra selections as we speak than prior to now.
G NOCKS
The unique Precision Molded Indexable Press Match Easton G Nock dates to 1992, and was designed by Jim Easton to offer a extra comfy finger interface for recurve shooters. The G nock was designed to be extraordinarily exact, with particular options designed to boost the separation of the nock from the bowstring on the proper place within the energy stroke. On the time, the Beiter nock had partly supplanted the unique A/C/E customary nocks, due to the notion that the Beiter nock had enhanced accuracy as a consequence of being marketed as a single cavity nock- which meant that each nock in a bag of Beiter nocks was from the identical nock cavity.
Beginning with the G nock, Easton took the identical method of single cavity bagging of the nocks. As with the Beiter nock, each single nock in a dozen bag of Easton goal nocks similar to G nocks comes from the identical mildew cavity- a course of that helps guarantee a minimal diploma of variation from nock to nock. All G nocks are produced from premium Bayer polycarbonate.
EASTON OVERNOCKS
The Easton Precision Molded Indexable Overnock was one of many first nocks developed for carbon shafts and located appreciable reputation as a selection for the X10 arrow shaft. This, and the Beiter model of the overnock (“out-nock”), was utilized by practically all X10 shooters within the 1996 Olympic Video games.
PIN NOCKS
Easton developed the Precision Molded Press Match Indexable Pin Nock to enrich the X10 arrow shaft in 1994 and launched the primary merchandise in 1997. Because the originator of the pin nock system, the Easton group needed to overcome a number of challenges in making this technique work. One in all these challenges was to make the nocks extraordinarily exact in order that any molding tolerance, mixed with any tolerance on the pin, wouldn’t exceed the extraordinarily tight tolerance necessities for a single-piece all-plastic premium insert nock, just like the G nock or Beiter.
Once more, single-cavity bagging mixed with cautious course of management offered the required tolerances and efficiency. Easton Pin Nocks are constructed from premium Bayer polycarbonate. One of many main facet advantages to the Pin Nock is that the pin “armors” the rear of the shaft from following arrow impacts, serving to defend the arrow shaft from harm. Whereas Pin Nocks have been designed particularly for finger launch, they’ve been extremely popular and profitable amongst compound shooters. Like all Easton goal nocks, Pin Nocks are single cavity packaged in every dozen bag.
G PIN NOCK
Easton’s newest growth is a barely longer G-nock model of the Pin Nock. This exact and versatile possibility combines the nice finger interface of the G nock with the unequalled shaft safety of the pin system. Accessible in two sizes with single-cavity dozen bagging, the G pin can be an ideal selection for compound shooters.
NOCK FIT
Nock match could be a essential side of tuning the recurve bow, notably as draw weight decreases. Usually talking, the lighter the draw weight, the extra essential it’s that the nock suits the string correctly. With at the very least two nock groove sizes out there in most goal nock configurations, it’s practically at all times potential to get a super match, notably should you use a bigger or smaller diameter serving as wanted.
Usually, correct nock match is decided as follows- the arrow ought to be capable of grasp from the string in a vertical place with out falling off below its personal weight, however ought to separate from the string with a light-weight faucet on the string inside 5-6 cm of the nock.
It’s additionally necessary to recollect to depart some clearance between the nock and any backside nocking level which may be used. If the nock is pinched between the highest and backside nocking level at brace peak, there shall be stress on the nock at full draw. In some instances this will trigger the nock to “squirt” off the string leading to a dry hearth. Sometimes one or two millimeters of clearance between the underside of the nock and high of the underside nocking level is perfect.
One ought to by no means attempt to bend the nock ears or in any other case modify the nock to enhance the fit- it’s a lot better to correctly serve the string to suit.
NOCK CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Regardless that nocks are designed to take large forces, they don’t seem to be indestructible. Cautious inspection of nocks after each taking pictures session or within the case of an affect ought to be a routine a part of your taking pictures routine. Exposing polycarbonate nocks to a wide range of chemical substances could cause problems- foremost amongst these are cleansing solvents, petrol, or DEET-type insect repellents. A broken (scored or dented) nock pin could cause stress cracking of a nock and ought to be discarded and changed. Pliers and comparable instruments (as an example your enamel!) ought to by no means be used to put in or flip nocks- using an Easton nock wrench is by far the higher answer.
Solvent primarily based adhesives ought to by no means be used to bond polycarbonate primarily based nocks right into a shaft- as a substitute, in these uncommon cases when it’s required, using Teflon pipe tape, and even skinny polythene bag materials could also be used to get a “comfortable” match when required.
CONCLUSION
After 1000’s of years with out a lot in the way in which of change, nocks have actually come a good distance prior to now 50 years or so. Simply as with bows and arrows, fashionable supplies have made nocks higher, extra exact and extra dependable. With so many prime quality choices as we speak, each archer has an opportunity to get the right setup to suit their wants.
