Torges facet tillering vs Mere Heath

[pmcleare]

Has anyone used the limb design that Torges depics in "Hunting the Osage Bow" on a white wood bow versus a Mere Heath retangular limb? What were the results?  Thinking of trying that limb design and tillering method with Ash.

Pat C

[Art B]

Never really liked Dean's method of facet tillering myself and believe Comstock's tapering tillering is superior. Even for Osage. To each his own I reckon.......Art

[Roy from Pa]

Anyone have a link to Comstocks tillering?

[Art B]

Buy his book "The Bent Stick" Roy........Art

[Roy from Pa]

Ok, just sent ya a PM, before I seen this.

[Art B]

Got it!  Art

[Pat B]

Every wood bowyer should have a copy of Paul Comstock's "The Bent Stick" even though it deals specifically with whitewoods.

[Art B]

I think that book should be every new bowyer's first book also Pat. Mostly just the basics which is where all newbies need to start anyways. But even old dogs can learn somthing also. I still stop long enough to go back and review things once I think I got it worked out in my head. Plus I'm getting old and forgetful  :confused:

[Roy from Pa]

Plus I'm getting old and forgetful:) Don't feel bad Art, your not alone there:) Well I just ordered the book from Three Rivers..  

I think:)

[Pat B]

I still have my original coffee stained copy from 1990 and constantly refer to it and my other books on a regular basis. At our ages, Art, we need all the memory aids we can get. d;^)

[pmcleare]

Read "The Bent Stick", Boyer's Bible Vols I, II and III plus Billets to Bows. Was wondering if anyone had tried the Torges method on a white wood bow. Personally I like the looks of the end product compared to the Mere Heath style.

Instead of hunting yesturday I cut an ash and an Ironwood. Quite the workout with 9 inches of snow and a pair of treadless Bean boots (their last trip). Ended up with a truck full of quartered logs. Have some Locust drying also. Guess I'll give his method a try myself and see how it goes, got plenty of wood.

[Pat B]

Dean used an oval cross section and crowned belly with his bows. Whitewoods work better with a rectangular cross section and a flat belly. With a crowned belly most of the compression stresses are down the center of the crown and most whitwwoods would fret if the compression was concentrated down the center of the belly. With a flat belly the stresses are spread out across and along the entire working portion of the limb.

[Art B]

Yep, as Pat mentioned, Dean's facet tillering method helps facilitate an oval cross section......Art

[John Scifres]

For good hickory or exceptional ash, it works fine.  For woods that have less compression strength, I'd stick with a flatter belly.  

You can still use the technique to achieve a flat belly.  Simply knock the crown down a little more.  It's a good safe way to make sure you don't go too far, too fast.  For irregular wood, it's almost essential for me.

[bigcountry]

I love the facet tillering for woods like mulberry, osage.  After I did one I was like this is the way to go.  It really makes all the growth rings work evenly.  

But on hickory, I still work a flat belly.

[George Tsoukalas]

Never used Dean's method. Stopped using Comstock's method. I use the eyeball method. I tiller by eye.    Jawge