D-shaped bows

[talkingcabbage]

I have some osage that Shaun and I cut a weekend or so ago, and I was gonna start roughing one out.  I want to make a bend through the handle bow, but I'm not sure on the dimensions.  I draw 28", so I'm thinking the length should be somewhere around 60" (2x draw length + a few for slop), width around 1.25".  

I guess what I'm asking is how do you tiller a D-bow?  What should the profile look like?  How do I treat the fades?  Any advise is appreciated (or just point me to a buildalong!)

Thanks guys!

[Roy Steele]

You tiller right through them.Tiller it slow and even so from the brace to full draw it looks like a D Shade.

[Pat B]

Joe, this is my version of the bow you are talking about. It is 60"t/t, osage with static recurves and bending through the handle. 48#@26" This bow has choke cherry bark backing. Also, the wood for this bow was cut May 8, 2008, I bought the stave at the end of May and the bow was built by July.
   Looking back I think I should have given it a bit more time to cure. It was dry when I worked it but after a load of shots I noticed some small frets in one limb. I will retiller this bow a bit lighter at a later date.
 
 
 

[Pat B]

What I did on this bow is leave the handle area thicker than the rest. With bendy handles you have to be careful that the handle doesn't begin to bend until late in the draw. If it starts too soon most of the bend will be in the handle with little in each limb because of the leverage.
   I like a bulbous handle so for this bow I added shoe leather overlays back and belly to fill out the handle. The bow bends through the handle and the leather bends with it.

[George Tsoukalas]

Most of the bows I build from boards have a D shaped profile. They bend in the handle but just a little bit. Jawge
 http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/boardbowbuildalong.html

[talkingcabbage]

So 1.25" is good on the width.  What should the thickness at the handle be?  And I'm guessing I should do a straight taper to 1/2" nocks, and taper the belly side from the handle section to 1/2" as well?  Or should I leave them thicker till the stave dries?  I'm not planning on recurving the tips or anything.  Just a straight limbed D-bow.

Thanks again

[Pat B]

If you are working with a stave, start at 1" thick or a bit more at the handle and remove wood from the belly until you get the bend you want and the weight you want. I know that sounds like a simplified explanation but I don't measure thickness on a stave bow because each piece of wood is different. I prefer top build a bow that is appropriate to the stave and not the other way around.
   Are you familiar with tillering a self bow?  The width you have chosen is fine for osage. If you haven't tillered many bows you might want to go a bit longer.
   You can reduce the stave to floor tiller stage and it will dry quicker and you won't be stressing a stave that is not ready to be stressed. Be sure that the back and ends is sealed if the stave is uncured.
   Here is a bendy handled yew bow. It is 64"t/t(62"n/n) and is pulling 48#@26". If your stave is clean you should easily be able to get a bow of this length(even shorter) and get the weight your are looking for. Being that it bends through the handle the stresses are spread throughout the bow instead of just in the limbs like a rigid handle bow.
 
 

[talkingcabbage]

Pat --
As always, you are extremely knowledgeable and helpful.  Thanks!  
" You can reduce the stave to floor tiller stage and it will dry quicker and you won't be stressing a stave that is not ready to be stressed." This is the part I was looking for.  Also, to keep the handle section 1" thick.

I have tillered bows before, just not D-bows.  I didn't know if there was anything special I needed to do.  It sounds like not.  I just need to rough it out to floor tiller stage like I thought.

By the way, Pat, those are both awesome bows.  I love to see the craftsmanship in your self bows!

[Pat B]

Thanks Joe. I built both last year to hunt with. Unfortunately the deer wouldn't cooperate.
  Save the handle area until the last as you tiller. If you get handle bending too early that is where all of your bend will be because of the leverage of the limbs. After you get the limbs to bend you can always reduce the handle area so it will begin to bend right before full draw.
  Your tiller should look like the arc of a circle and not elliptical like a stiff handle bow.