Even Tiller - Where to place a shelf?

[YosemiteSam]

I may have finally built a hunting-weight bow (45# @ 26") but I'm hesitant to claim it since it's not done and I'm mostly afraid to jinx it until I've run a few hundred shots through it.  I plan to shoot this one off the knuckle.  

Somehow, I managed to get the tiller perfectly even as far as I can measure -- tillering string braced at 6 3/8" at the fades for both limbs (pyramid design).  Not having a noticeably stiffer limb, I'm wondering about how/where to place a "rest" (nocking indicator).  In the past, I've cut a shelf about 1.5" above center.  But I've always had one limb just a little stiffer than the other.  Should I be holding the bow halfway down the handle so the arrow rests dead center?  Or should I place my indicator at the same 1.5" above center?  Any thoughts about this are welcome.

[Roy from Pa]

Is the bow asymmetrical, or symmetrical?

Actually, you should have calculated the arrow shelf, handle, and nocking point on the string in advance. And had your tillering tree setup to replicate your drawing hand on the string.

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by Roy from Pa:
Is the bow asymmetrical, or symmetrical?

Actually, you should have calculated the arrow shelf, handle, and nocking point on the string in advance. And had your tillering tree setup to replicate your drawing hand on the string.

Symmetrical.

Calculated?  Hell, I don't even know which side is up or down until I get the tillering done.  This is just a maple board bow.  If my hand needs to duplicate my tree, then I'd be pulling at center-string with the heel of my hand centered on the handle (and the arrow placed according to that).  Is that about right?

Forgive me -- I'm no master bowyer here.  I'm just a guy shaving wood in the garage.

[Roy from Pa]

Symmetrical, ok. Put a line at the exact center of the bow. Measure up 2 inches from that line, that will be the top of your handle, arrow shelf. Measure down 2 inches from the center line and that will be the bottom of you handle. 4" inch handle/grip. Now depending if you shoot split or 3 under is the next step. But assume that on your finished bow/string, your string nocking point is going to be 3/8th above the arrow shelf. Then depending on split or 3 under shooting, calculate where the center of your middle finger will be when drawing the bow with your hand. Place your trees pull rope at that point. Draw a straight vertical line down the wall at that point of your middle finger. As you work the bow down the tree, you want the trees pull rope to track on that line. If it drifts to one side or the other, that means the side it drifts towards is the stiffer limb. Remove wood from the stiffer limb to keep the pull rope tracking the line on the wall. All the while maintaining a nice even bend in the limbs. When you first place the bow in the tree cradle, level the handle. Do not worry about one tip being higher or lower. JUST level the handle. Everytime your remove wood, exercise the bow 25 times on the tree to the same distance you had it too. If all looks good, pull it 2 more inches and adjust the limbs accordingly. Piece of cake..  
   

[Pat B]

I put the middle finger on my bow hand at the center of the handle and grip. I then mark the arrow pass at the top on my hand.

[George Tsoukalas]

I shoot my bows 1.25 in. above center but that can change depending on tiller. Jawge

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by Pat B:
I put the middle finger on my bow hand at the center of the handle and grip. I then mark the arrow pass at the top on my hand.

That's the kind of "calculation" I was looking for.  Thanks!

[Pat B]

K.I.S.S     :D

[mikkekeswick]

Lower your brace height to 5 1/2 inches over 6 is too high for a wooden bow.

[EwokArcher]

Thanks for that explanation pat from pa. I haven't heard of that method being used. It would be great next self bow I do. Worth saving the screen shot there

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by mikkekeswick:
Lower your brace height to 5 1/2 inches over 6 is too high for a wooden bow.

That wasn't brace height to center of handle.  6 3/8" was from the string to the back of the bow at the fades (long string).  That being said, my wrist (just behind my thumb) was getting whacked pretty solid at that low brace height.  I made a shorter string last night, braced it closer to 6" and played around a bit with it this morning.  It helped a lot.  I'm going to keep playing with it for a couple weeks before finishing it to see how it settles in.  Then it's on to fine-tuning arrows to go around that handle...

[Roy from Pa]

Quote:
((That being said, my wrist (just behind my thumb) was getting whacked pretty solid at that low brace height. I made a shorter string last night, braced it closer to 6" and played around a bit with it this morning. It helped a lot.))


Yupper. I brace all my wooden bows at 6.5".. 5 1/2" brace height is way too low. That will be pushing your arrow while it's still going through paradox.. Not good...

[forestdweller]

Like the other poster said, K.I.S.S, forget the shelves, shelves are for books, shoot off the hand! (Partially kidding  :p )