Hitting target draw weight w/ no scale

[Dublin Joe]

I don't have a scale yet so I'm going to try using suspended known weights instead.

If I want a 40# bow, TBB says to start by getting the limbs evenly bending at 20# then increase incrementally to 40# while keeping things even.  Once it holds the 40# I can increase the draw length.  Imagine hanging a 40# weight from the string and having it go down to 26" then stop.

For security, though, I want to keep my pulley system hooked up so I can stop the process at will as well as control the rate of pull.

Has anyone tried this?

Joel

[Andrew Wesley]

i haven't tried that but i use the bathroom scale method described in TBB and it works ok.

[Art B]

That should work just fine Joel. I checked my Hanson scale against my clinical scale using a 5 gal. bucket of water and only found 1/2lb difference in weight. As you mentioned, keeping even limb strain as the bow is drawn is the key. Allow yourself about 5# (or tiller out to 1" short of final draw length @ desired draw weight) for final shooting-in and final tiller set. Good luck. ART B

[walkabout]

i tillered my first few bos using a bathroom scale, then after awhile went to wally world and bought a cheap fish/game scale. it only goes up to 50#, but it does the trick for tillering most bows. if a bow is going to be too heavy for the scale to read accurately, i simply use a benchmark where it pulls50#, then apply the weight-draw length ratio and get a close estimate. think the scale cost me 10$ or so.

[John Scifres]

I've never used anything other than a bathroom scale and a 5' maple board with a notch on top and marked every inch along the side. Like this.  

 

[4est trekker]

Yep, I echo the bathroom scale trick.  Here's my get-up:

 

The dowel has 1" increments marked and a slot in the top to hold the string.  Works like a charm and costs little to nothing.

[traditionalman]

I had a few bow blew up on a tillering stick and made me gun shy. I now us a tillering tree with pulleys and a mand held 0 to 90 bow scale for the weight. Once I have the bow bending nicely I will check the weight at 14 inches and then every 2 inches thereafter. Don't know if this is right since I'm still learning, but hate getting hit in the face and head with bow wood splinters.