back me up on tiller

[Echatham]

alright im reasonably confident in my tillering abilities, though i have yet to knock one out of the park,  i would just like some other eyes on this as i go along to catch something i may not see.   this is osage, 64" ntn with top limb (on the right) 1" longer.  bottom limb is super clean and straight.  limbs are 1.5" at the dips and for about 5" after that, then straight taper to half inch at the tips (will be 3/8" or so when finished) .... pretty much straight out of Dean Torges's book.  floor tillering brought me to where im at, and this is the first time on any string so i can get a better look before i take it to low brace (1-2")  i think its ready.  my goal is 50# @29", and straight standing after shooting in. I guesstimate its about 65# right now. i plan to heat in about 3" of reflex once i reach a 5" brace or so.  so what do you guys think?  ready for low brace?

 
 

[blacktailchaser]

well there eric..i would say it looks good..there might be a little stiffness on the right limb..alittle out from the fade area..i hope some other guys chime in for help...john

[Echatham]

learned a neat trick from a guy on PA,  use a straight edge to draw a straight line through the dips and wiggles, and use that line to judge tiller.

 

 

now.... secondary question... opinions on when to heat in reflex? now... or once i get to full brace?

[Bowjunkie]

Reflex now... if the moisture content of the wood is appropriate.

Looks good so far.

[Roy from Pa]

Not too shabby..

[Echatham]

how would you guys handle this? its right in the fade.  
 
 
 

[Roy from Pa]

Super glue and keep, on tillering.

[Echatham]

thats kinda what i figured, just checkin.  i wondered if the character bows i see with holes in em... if thats what they drilled out... or if there was just actually holes in the stave.  this one doesn't go all the way through... just looks like a pin knot on the back, so i suppose you wouldn't want to drill that out.

[Echatham]

finally got it braced.  took a while because it was too stiff after putting in the reflex, and then my string kept stretching out on me.  kept it braced at 1" for about 30 seconds, just long enough to snap pictures and get a look at it.  should be able to get the string perfectly centered by thinning tips and handle... later.    lost a hair over an inch of reflex (the bottom of the blue tape on the wall marks where the tips were right off the form)  the unbraced pic is immediately after unstringing.  if it looks like its going to have string follow once i get it to full brace, is there any harm in re-adding reflex in the outer two thirds?

 

 

 

[Roy from Pa]

Looks nice Eric, reflex it.

[Echatham]

Thanks Roy.  im gonna get it to full brace first, my thinking is that if its all bending nice and evenly, both limbs should retain reflex close to the same.

 

 

3.5" brace.  maybe stiff on inner thirds?