My first selfbow, Red Oak Boardbow

[Flyboy718]

Tillering is complete!!!! Yay! She came out 45# at my 30" draw, just right.  Now time to shape handle / arrow rest and tips.

 
 

[PEARL DRUMS]

There ya go buddy! Looks nice, nice tiller. Is that one limb twisted slighty, or is the camera angle fooling me? Either way it will be fine! Betcha' cant stop now...You already have another in mind dont you?

[Flyboy718]

PD, thanks man it was a lot of fun and took a long time, power tools would be nice!  Yes, I do have a limb that is twisted for some reason, it did that about half way through and I don't know why...I will post some pics looking down the string and get some opinions on how to fix the twist.  
I would highly recommend the tiller gizmo for anybody that is tillering a bow for the first time, I owe this tiller job to the gizmo.

[Aznboi3644]

that tiller looks very good...very smooth even bend all across.

Well done flyboy

[Pat B]

The tiller looks right on to me. Well done!!!
  If the limb is twisting as you draw it is because one side of the limb is thicker than the other. Run the gizmo down both sides of that limb while it is drawn and see if that doesn't show you where it is stiff.

[Flyboy718]

Originally posted by Pat B:
The tiller looks right on to me. Well done!!!
  If the limb is twisting as you draw it is because one side of the limb is thicker than the other. Run the gizmo down both sides of that limb while it is drawn and see if that doesn't show you where it is stiff.

Thanks for the kind words everyone, it feels good!

Pat:  Your exactly right, I started noticing it halfway through and I now realize it is because I was removing wood with it strung in my lap with a Sureform.  So just slowly remove that and it will be good to go? Will I loose a little in the poundage department?

[KellyG]

looks good flyboy cant wait to see your next one

[Flyboy718]

DANGIT!  Splinter came up on the first third of the bottom limb right on the edge of the outside of the limb...about 2" long and 1/8" wide.  You can see the linen bulged a little and on the side of the limb see a little crack.  I think it happened last night when I got a little zealous and pulled it to 30" a little too soon I heard a little sound.  I have shot a few arrows with her this morning and all seems well doesn't make any sounds and I think there is not much stress there?  Was thinking of maybe takings some super glue and injecting inside the little crack as best I can.  Going to reduce that bottom limb and get the twist out of it and they may also help with that crack...in fact now that I think about it that might have been what caused the crack.

[Aznboi3644]

make sure to round all sharp edges

[Pat B]

Super glue under the splinter and a wrap over it...and round all corners and edges.

[Flyboy718]

Originally posted by Pat B:
Super glue under the splinter and a wrap over it...and round all corners and edges.

Thanks Pat!  Sounds like a good plan.

[Flyboy718]

Sad news guys....Sahra had a short life, but we shot a few arras together. She was born at 6:37 PM on Saturday and died at 1:00PM Monday.  

This is how it went down...I decided to shave some wood off the bottom limb on that one side of the limb to correct the twist.  After doing that I drew it back several times to take set and the draw wasn't as smooth as it was before, felt ugly. I put it on the tillering tree and drew it to 28" and noticed that the bottom limb that I shaved the wood off of was bending a good bit more than the top limb.  I knew at this point she was not going to be a 45# bow anymore and I was fine with that.  I went to use my tillering gizmo to mark the change I needed to make in my top limb and just as I put my hand on the riser and my arm through the draw POW!!! The string slapped the under side of my right forearm and has a whelp about an inch high, the string lay slack on the ground not attached to the bow and my top limb snapped approximately 8-10" from the tip.  The more I think about it, I don't think that the bow failed I think that the string slipped from the notch cut in the tiller tree...otherwise how else would the string have slapped my arm?  If the limb broke the string wouldn't go up toward the riser with that kinds force like it was being dry fired...it would have gone away from the riser??  Thoughts??

[Ironfist_Canada]

Climb back on the bike.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I second Ironfist's plan. The only way to get over lost love is to rebound fast! Try again flyboy. Isnt this bow building stuff a hoot!

[Flyboy718]

I will have the house to myself this weekend and the first of the next week...gonna try to get me another one done pretty quick.

[howdydoit]

sorry to hear about the loss. For a 1st bow it was really looking good and made me want to get my build started.

I think ill do a little more reading 1st tho.

[Flyboy718]

Originally posted by howdydoit:
sorry to hear about the loss. For a 1st bow it was really looking good and made me want to get my build started.

I think ill do a little more reading 1st tho.

Go ahead and dive in, don't wait...I am glad I did it, I learned a whole lot and it wasn't the bow's fault, the string slipped from the notch in my tiller tree and dry fired. Next one I will do out of hickory...just didn't really like the red oak too much.

[Aznboi3644]

its pretty amazing how little wood removal is needed at final tiller.  Try to fix it after tillering and it all goes out of whack.

Like Jawge says you ain't making if you ain't breakin.

[Dave Bowers]

Don't sweet man....I break way more then I finish. Just go out get a new board and get back at it.

[Mike Byrge@home]

Jason, My dad is having three hickory trees cut down at his place in Benton in the next week or so and I told him to have the trunks cut into 6' pieces.  Should get several good staves out of the lot...you can have a few if you are interested.