Hickory Selfbow Build-Along

[Gopherhunter]

Thanks for the backing explanation.

Great job

[Eric]

Ok guys, I've finally found some free time to get back to my bow. Here are some pictures of it strung on a very, very low brace. (The string is barely 1" away from the nock at the unstrung position) It's showing plenty of resilience, so that sounds good.

And then the next two pictures are the bow pulled to about 5" and then 10". I would like some advice on the tiller, just let me know what you think.

-Eric-

 

 

 

 

[George Tsoukalas]

If the handle area is at least 3/4 in thick forget about the glue on and make a bend in the handle bow. Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

How much width do you have at the handle?

[Eric]

1 5/8" wide...but it is a bulbous style. And the hickory part of the thickness is 1/2".

[Eric]

What exactly are you saying, though?

[Dano]

Eric, it's way to stiff at the fades for starters and the right limb is a bit stiffer than the left. I think Jawge wasn't sure if you had a handle on this bow.

[Luke Vander Vennen]

it looks like you've got a hinge about 10 inches from the fade on the left limb

[Eric]

Great minds think alike! As you guys were posting I've been taking care of those very same problems. The right limb is now bending much better, and that hinge was taken care of. Good thing I caught that one early.

I've got it to about 13" on the long string. She seems to be doing well.

I think the next step will be taking care of those fades. I'm trying to keep them fairly stiff, as I made a booboo while getting the blank together. I made the mistake of not leaving a certain thickness for the handle.    

Oh well, these things are always an adventure.

I'll keep you guys posted.

-Eric-

[Eric]

Ok here she is pulling around 16" long string. I have two pictures here, one is without my little marks, and the 2nd one is with my marks. I've used the green to highlight areas that need wood taken away. What do you all think?


Also, the right limb is developing a hinge between my two green highlights. I should think that it will disappear once the adjustments are made.

   

   

-Eric-

[Dano]

Yep, you got the right idea. Gotta get them fades bending.

[Eric]

I'm kind of stumped at this point, guys. Im not sure what to do, and the right limb is getting thin at the middle...which is right where it needs to bend. And then does the left limb look a bit stiff all together?


 

Help please!      :confused:        :confused:        :confused:

[Luke Vander Vennen]

you've got a hinge 6 inches off the handle on the left limb. The outer half of the right limb needs to be doing more bending

take it slow  

[Eric]

Yea see that's the tricky part. I know that the right limb needs to bend there, but its getting quite thin, and I'm wondering if I should take it in via width, and not thickness.

I think to the left of the hinge on the left limb, it's a bit stiff. Oh well...take it slow I shall. I've found that "Haste Makes Waste" applies 1,000% in tillering.

[Luke Vander Vennen]

If you're afraid of the midlimb being too thin, excercise the bow about 50 times and then check the tiller. If it hasn't changed, keep tillering as normal