Back in the saddle... Tiller help?

[Steve Kendrot]

I've been mostly lurking here for the past couple years. Have been stuck on how to get a tricky stage to tiller but I think I've finally got it there and would love to get some feedback before I go much further. This is a 67" OSB drawn to 24" with about 35 pounds. Looks like ill be shy of 50 at 29 but if I get mid 40s I'll be happy. I'd be grateful for any tillering advice before I pull it back much farther. Any thoughts?

 

 

 

[CalebNH00]

I'm no expert, but the right one looks stiffer than the left and I think that it needs to bend more at the last third of the limbs. If you've got it to 24", you can brace it up at a 3" brace or so. like I said before, i'm no expert, so maybe i'm wrong.

[Steve Kendrot]

Thanks. I'm a bit worried the left limb is bending too much off the fade and not enough mid limb. It's been a while since I've tillered. Don't want to remove too much more wood because my weight is going to suffer!

[4est trekker]

Bet it feels good to be working on a bow again, huh?  Go to full brace first and see if you can't get the outer third of each limb bending more, particularly on the left.  Also, the area just out of the fade on the right limb can work more, too.  Also, be sure to never draw beyond the point that tiller imperfections start to show up.  This leads to undue set.  The stave has a nice unbraced profile, however.  

[Steve Kendrot]

Thanks FT. It does feel good! I've moved my shop and tools and took a while to get set up in new house. I've been using the tillering gizmo, but its of limited use close to the fades and near the stiff tips which I've left about 8". Perhaps too much?

[LittleBen]

x2 what 4esttrekker said

[George Tsoukalas]

If this were my stave, I would concentrate on getting the limbs to start bending...just start bending ...at the end of fades. I also would not draw it much more than 15 inches before I worked on that area. Your right limb appears stiff right at the fade area. Never draw a stave beyond what it takes to reveal a problem. My site has info. Jawge
 http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html

[Steve Kendrot]

Thanks George. You saw this stave last spring in Baltimore in a much rougher form... It's definitely presented some challenges. Sounds like I'm getting ahead of myself with this one. Better slow down a bit.