Tillering Critique **Update with pics**

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Here's a bow I'm working on for a friend whos on another website. I'm using Eric's gizmo for the first time ever on a bow and so far I really like it. I've managed to keep the limbs real nice and flat by taking off the high spots as the gizmo indicates. I want this bow to be tillered as near perfect as possible, so before I go any further I'm going to let you all access my progress thus far.

Here's an unstrung pic first and this bow has one of the nicest unstrung profiles of any bow I have had the pleasure of building so far. Nice and straight with a bit of natural reflex.

 

Next pic is where I am at right now. I think I'm pretty even throughout, but still need to get the limbs moving some more I believe. I'm still on the long string and not real sure if I should get some more movement before going to the short string, or just choke up the long string??

Be nice, but please be honest.    :D   Thanks.

 

[Pat B]

She looks pretty good to me. It is about time for a short string and low brace.

[macbow]

From the picture my eye is saying the right limb is bending just a little more. Putting the short string on with a low brace should show if that is true.
Ron

[PEARL DRUMS]

Better than mine! How is that for critique SEMO?

[okie64]

I'd put it on a short string with about a 4" brace and see what it looks like.

[Art B]

With a long string you want the fade area to bend more and keep the outer half of the limb stiff. Cause when you go to the short/permanent string (string angle changes here) the inner part of the bow will flatten out while the outer half with come round.

We need a back profile pic to determine correct tiller.

Left limb the stump end of your bow?......Art

[George Tsoukalas]

It looks ready for the short string. Looks good. Jawge

[vanillabear?]

[John Scifres]

Right limb is bending more than the left mostly at midlimb.  Even them up and get that near handle wood working more before you string it.  But you are real close.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Thanks guys, that's kinda what my thoughts were also and the right limb is the weaker limb, the left one has been stiffer from the beginning. So good eyes to all who caught that.

That's why I wanted your honest opinions, sometimes my eys will see what they want to see and not what's actually there.

Will be back later with new pics when I get it worked down some more.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Ok I got it on the short string, and it's a bit shorter than I really wanted at the moment, but I took it easy stringing it and came out with a 7" brace ht. to the back of the grip.
Here it is strung, and the short string does reveal some things that you cannot see on the long string as you can tell from the pic. I've got a problem area in the right limb just beyond the fade. Looks a bit flat there.
What do you all see?

 

Here it is at 17" of draw. Right side still flat looks like to me from middle to fade and last 1/3 of the tip maybe?

 

Finally here is the unstrung profile after about 5 min. of being strung. It took just a bit of set during that time. So what if anything can be done to prevent this? Just minimize the amount of time it's strung until the final tillering is complete?

 

I put the bow scale on it for the first time while it was strung and only pulled it to 23" because that's as far as it has been so far. It pulls 35# @23" and my goal wt. is 50# @29" does that sound completely doable?

Thanks for looking.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Art- Here are the pics of the back that you asked for. If you need a different angle or something let me know and I'll get those for ya.
Thanks for the advice, all is much appreciated and welcomed.

This end had a little snaky wiggle to it, this always makes me nervous trying to follow the snake in the grain because I'm scared to death of getting a splinter in these areas if I don't do it right.
So far so good though, knock on wood!    

 

Here's the other end and it's as straight as a yard stick, but the tips do have a bit of twist opposite each other. The good thing is that the string tracks perfectly true through the center of the handle area. I guess that means I'm getting better at laying out the profile...huh?

 

[PEARL DRUMS]

I see the same thing on the right you do. I can also see it at brace by the tiller from side to side, it looks wider on the left side? Your only a few scrapes off. Listen to me babble.... I started my own "hows it look thread" because I cant tell!

[Roy from Pa]

The right limb is bending too much where it is circled Chris. Take wood off to the left of it first, then off the right of it if needed. Use that gizmo, pull the string down to say 15 inches and lock it down, then run the gizmo up the limb. That will tell you everything. Heck just use the gizmo at the brace and it will mark where you need wood removed.

 

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Yep, that's what I see too. I need to get that fade moving a bit more on the right and I think it may be real close then?
I'll wait and see what some of the "Grey Beards" have to say too...LOL    

Like I said before, it's a good thing to have extra pairs of eyes to take a look because sometimes I either can't see it, or don't want to see it? I also see things in the pics that I can't see when I'm looking at it on the tillering tree.

Thanks for the extra eyeballs everybody!

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Thanks Roy, that's what I've been doing and that spot you have circled was heavy before the last sanding, so I think I hit it a bit too much? I'm using the palm sander at this point and you wouldn't think it could ever take too much off, but it will if you aren't careful.

I hope I've got enough poundage left before I hit my target wt. to fix that and still be good. I'll gizmo that spot and take it easy this time.

Should I leave the left side alone, or wait and see what I got after fixing the right side?

Thanks!

[Roy from Pa]

I'll wait and see what some of the "Grey Beards" have to say too...LOL  

LOL, you calling me, Pat, and Art old?

[Roy from Pa]

I would get the right limb looking better first. As you remove wood from the right limb, the left limb is going to get stronger, hence flatter.  

I promise that spot will have the biggest gap on the gizmo, so back your pencil tip off the belly say maybe 1/8th to start, then run the gizmo up and down the entire limb, paying more attention to the area just outside the fade.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by Roy from Pa:
I'll wait and see what some of the "Grey Beards" have to say too...LOL  

LOL, you calling me, Pat, and Art old?    

I mean that in a respectful, friendly way as in I trust your ageful wisdom.....along with Pat and Art too of course.    

[Roy from Pa]

I understand:) I think I'm the pup when we talk about Art and Pat:) LOL