tillering help

[tat]

I am working on a Sam Harper style bow. I have the shape cut out the corners rounded and reached what I believe to be floor tiller.

I made myself a 4" tillering gizmo and a tillering tree. I have a long string on the bow and had it about 12 inches down to 18". I am not seeing any gap to speak of the entire length of the limbs. My limbs are indeed bending and my first thought was that I need to get some material off of the belly. I did this and I still do not have a gap. I wanted to ask yall before I mess this up.

What should I do next?

[Eric Krewson]

A 6"gizmo will work much better. I tried a short one the other day on a kids bow and had the same problem as you. The short gizmo doesn't have enough span to make a gap.

[Pat B]

You have enough tip movement to get the bow to a low brace of about 4" and see how everything lines up. If you continue with the long string you will get some false readings that will screw you up later on.

[hova]

been wondering how a smaller gizmo would work, and what happens if you leave the long string on too...long...


now I know

[tat]

OK,

  I made a 6" tillering gizmo and I am still  barely seeing light. I have a flemish string a guy gave me and I tied a loop on the other end. I and not even sure if I did it right. It braced at 2". I put it on the tree and took it from 10" to 14". I got a little light in a couple areas, but not enough to move the pencil point 1/8" away from the belly. I really didnt even see 1/8" in between there.

  I stepped back and looked and it looked REALLY good, I was very supprised. I am new to actually getting this far, and I may be wrong too. I have been researching this and looking at pics of tillering for 5 years. I just cant remember where to go from here.

  It braced to about 2 inches. I am concerned about bracing it any further because I dont have a stringer. I used the old step through method.

  I have some good 1/8" diameter nylon rope and some leather. can someone please tell me how I can make a stringer.

  I will get some pics up, if I can.

Thanks for all of the help.

[Pat B]

I'd say to brace it as soon as you have a chance. If you have pulled it 14" you don't have to far to go for full draw.

[hova]

it almost sounds to me like you're a natural . short string it and keep it all even would be my thoughts...


sounds to me like you've got the tillering thing down...

-hov

[tat]

Originally posted by hova:
it almost sounds to me like you're a natural . short string it and keep it all even would be my thoughts...


sounds to me like you've got the tillering thing down...

-hov

I didnt mean to sound arrogant when I said that I have been researching this for a while. I just meant that I have looked at alot of pics and read alot on here as well as other sites.

  I have broken three bows, and only had a sucess on a kids weight bow that I later broke. This is only the third one that made it to a tree, and the second to get off of a long string. I broke one testing the floor tiller one time.

  I hope that did not come across the wrong way. I have not been sucessfull at all in the past. What I meant was that it is looking well and I dont know where to go from here.

I dont have a scale so I have going to wing it with the weight. I am hoping to get somewhere around 45# at 30". Do I just keep on pulling it down and using the tillering gizmo?

 Thanks

[hova]

I have yet to finish one as well,but the way I read your earlier post, it sounded like you achieved the holy grail of perfectly tillering ...

if I was at that point, i'd brace it at 4 or 6" and tiller to 31 or 32 (for safety)...

if its even when you brace it , keep it even...

gL
-hov

[tat]

Well the bow cracked, There was some discolored/black grain on the back that I thought was superficial. As I scraped the belly down I started to see it about 1/2 way into the board. The crack is right where the black is.

  Oh well, I  learned more on this bow than I have on any other. I would not take anything for the experience! I will definately try it again.

I wanted to use this board since I already had it started. I am going to get a wide enough board so I can follow the pyramid board bow build a long on here.

  I  really appreciate all of the help I recieved on here from everyone.

Thanks

[hova]

i am following sams and ferrets sort of intermixed. white oak 1x2 , faded last 15" , 10" handle/riser area , no overlays so far , still doing tillering , but ill be damned if i can get the bow bending anywhere near 3" brace , let alone 4....


-hov

[tat]

Hova,

  I am glad it is working out for you!! I could not find ferret's page the last time I looked, where did you find it?

[hova]

http://sticknstring.webs.com/ferretsboardbow.htm

ferrets confused me a little , cause he shows a plain sawn board , that he rips into staves , and then (i think) backs with other strips cut from the same board...either that or he uses part of it for handles...

i ended up doing like sam does on po folks , and got a 1x2 that was said to be quartersawn , but riftsawn would be even better. i couldnt find rift locally , and they arent that different , either would work.


my first one i bought some red oak from lowes and it was the most dense they had , with the straightest grain , and after showing it here , a few said to look for different wood. when i started into it , it was mostly early growth and just horrible. after breaking that , i called the local sawmill , and got some white oak 1x2 quartersawn , for seven cents more for the piece (not board ft) , and the difference is like day and night. i was thinking with the red oak "oh i dont know why it takes these guys so long , this is easy" ... now with the white oak board , i think my tools are really dull cause its an ass-ton of work...


-hov

[tat]

Thanks Hova, Ferret used to a single arrow longbow quiver on a website, but I didnt see it there.

  There is a really cool stave bow tutorial on there!