My First Bow - Suggestions, roast me...

[DesM8]

I cut a hickory (pignut I believe) about a year and a half ago and left it to dry (bark on unfortunately)  I may have needed a little more time to dry but my impatience got the better of me.  I got some help on the bowyer reddit (great guys) on the tiller once I'd already overstressed the bow and gotten quite a bit of set (typical beginner behavior I guess ).  Part of this was due to a disastrous dry heat bend on a tip... had to lop about 3-4 inches off each end and then re-bent with steam.  After this I took a lot more material off but obviously not enough towards the ends.  Current specs are 64in, 43lbs at 28in.  Limbs are ~2in tapering to a little less than 1/2" at the tips (starting ~12in from the tips).

SO... its definitely got a ton of string follow but I wanted to throw this up here and get some more feedback on the tiller if possible.

 

Some additional shots of the profile:

I think with the initial longer length it would have been more forgiving but I might have messed it up anyway!

Should I keep taking material off the last 1/3d of the limbs at this point, and should I try to coax it back to flat and roast the belly (knowing that a lot of the set is permanent now and will likely come back)?

[Kirkll]

I’m not a self bowyer, or work with all wood bows much at all…

but common sense as a long time woodworker / glass bowyer, tells me you should be able to steam it and reshape this bow with a bit of reflex. Let it dry, then use some backing of some kind to help you on the string follow issue. Then re tiller scraping the belly side…. 

I’m sure more experienced self bowyers will have suggestions for you…… it’s just my take on it.    Kirk

[Pat B]

I think your full draw looks good. Unfortunately it took too much set and that means the belly cells are probably damages. You could try to clamp it to a reflex culm and use dry heat to temper the belly. This should help some if the belly damage isn't too bad.

[Mad Max]

What Pat said.
Hickory want/needs to be very dry (8%)
Tiller looks good
Find a Osage stave that is dry and go again 

[Mad Max]

When I first started Selfbow I made a lot of firewood, I just couldn't get the hang of it, lots of set too.
I watched some videos on youtube and came up with my own way. (shoving the tip straight down to the ground trying to replicate the string pulling tip to tip) looking at the bend.  I ended up with a Bow that was almost tillered with out ever bracing it. first brace was about 2/3" , OMG look at this is what I said to myself.
The Tennessee Classic will be May 5th to 7th close to Nashville, tons of people go every year, bring the whole family.




HOW TO FLOOR TILLER My way---
Learning how to Floor tiller is the best way to go.
1 Put the tip on the ground about 12" or so in front of your right foot.
2 Hold the top limb at chest high with your left hand while you bend over a little, the rest of the limb is going under you left arm pit. Right foot forward and left foot back.
3 The grip is on the right and the back is left, shove the tip to the ground ( I use a piece of thick leather 4" square on the ground) while your right hand push the grip left, this will Simulate a string pulling from tip to tip. And you are looking down the bow watching it bend.
4 Scrape any flat spots and draw a X (don't scrap)on places it's bending to much.
5 Stay away from the fades until you get it Braced
6 Scrape and repeat step 2 and 3 over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and more.
A long string for tillering on a tiller tree is the same length as the bow (my way) 2/3" brace.
7 when you get it braced if 1 limb is stronger than the other scrap the whole limb on the strong side.
Your bow can be almost finished after doing this.

[DesM8]

Thanks for the feedback guys! 

I did try to do some floor tillering early on Max, but that was all done before I lopped the ends off of it and made it 8" shorter... At that point I'd already gotten it strung into something like a low brace and was bending it on the tree to around 20" with little set.  I just didn't realize how much stiffer chopping that much off would make it and went straight back to a long string/low brace on the tillering tree.  When I was trying to floor tiller I just couldn't get a great look at the bend, and I didn't have a feel for how much flex I wanted anyway due to my inexperience.So some of the set is definitely from that phase, some from me having the outer 1/3-1/2 too stiff, and maybe some from the moisture still being a bit too high.  Your floor tillering method seems pretty solid and might give a better view of the bend. 

As far as osage goes...  My dad has a good friend in KS with a big chunk of land and I do get out there once or twice a year for hunting. I'll be goin out in about a month for turkey but I'm flying.  Maybe one of these times I can drive and try to bring back some staves!  I should be able to convince my buddy to let me chop down some trees...  You guys would die if you'd seen how much osage and black walnut is burnt on the campfire out there...

Lessons learned and lot of experience gained!  Hopefully I can get some shots in with this one and work on making the next ones better, I've definitely got the bug!

[Mad Max]

 

[George Tsoukalas]

The tiller looks very good.
You could spend more time on it. As was mentioned belly cells have collapsed. YOu'd have to try "fixing" an area that did not bend (handle, tips).

Or you could start another bow and have more fun and learn more.

Jawge

[DesM8]

Thanks Jawge!  I did end up taking a bit more off the last 1/3 of the limbs.  I didn't try to heat it again afterall.  After some more reading it seemed like it might help a bit, but some if not all of it may come back due to the damaged cells.  It shoots nicely despite the set, so I chalked it up to inexperience and moved on!  Made some arrows from a poplar board I had left over that had good straight grain.  Also made the quiver from some leather I salvaged from an old couch a while back

[Kirkll]

Cool looking arrows!

[DesM8]

Thanks Kirkll, had a lot of fun learning how to make em from scratch!  Unfortunately I only had some secondary feathers for the fletchings but they're good enough for practice.  Turkey season is coming up and I'm putting out the word to everyone I know to save the wings for me 

[simk]

What the others said 
Tiller is good, maybe a bit much bend after the fades - this is also where you caught the set.
I'd really think about Pat B's suggstion.....clamping it reflex and heat the belly, especially where the set occurred. Heat every limb 5minutes, moving closely along the limbs with the heat gun. Work evenly both sides and put more heat on wehre the set is. Then retiller. Dry heat can do wonders in a case like that - you'll be surprised.

Jm2c 

[DesM8]

I've got no doubt I could get it to bend back, that heat gun really can do magic.  Just worried how much of the set is just going to come back anyways.  Its got some stain and a couple coats of wiping varnish on it now... I'm guessing if I did revisit it I'd want to scrape that off first.  I might end up doing it at some point, might as well just see how it reacts to it.  It'll probably be after I finish the new one though 

I've actually had to take the heat gun to this eastern red cedar a few times already... It doesn't seem to take heat bending nearly as easily as the hickory.  I think I've finally managed to get the string alignment fixed on it though.  I'll try to make a new post about this one so I don't muddy the waters though.