Tillering Critique **Update with pics**

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by Roy from Pa:
I understand:) I think I'm the pup when we talk about Art and Pat:) LOL

Me too, in my mind I'm still in my late 20's early 30's, but my body feels like it's got another 25 years on it than that.

[Art B]

You must be feeling better Roy! Could use some of those special pills myself  

[Goose Gossett]

Hey at least y'all have hair to get gray!

SEMO: I like the snake on one limb and straightness of the other.  Slick profile!

[John Scifres]

Really flat at the handle particularly on the right.  Brace height is a bit high.  Go with about 5" for now if you can.  You will probably miss weight with this one.  I'd guess mid 40s when you get her right.

[TimB]

What is this gizmo you speak of? I'm about to start tillering my first bow tomorrow and anything to make it easier would be awesome.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Thanks for all the advice, observations, and info spiked with humor guys. I sure appreciate it.
 Art - Right now it's rectangular with only the edges of the limbs rounded to prevent splinters. If that helps any. I had planned to just leave the profile like that and basically just smooth all the square edges, but still your basic rectangular limb profile.

 TimB - Here's the fabulous Gizmo that we speak of, created by our own Eric Krewson. So simple, yet masterful in the ways of bow tillering ingenuity.    
 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=001047

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by John Scifres:
Really flat at the handle particularly on the right.  Brace height is a bit high.  Go with about 5" for now if you can.  You will probably miss weight with this one.  I'd guess mid 40s when you get her right.

Thanks John, and that's exactly what I was thinking myself. I need to get the fades moving some more. If I hit high 40's that would be ok too, and I could always nibble a bit of the tip of each limb if I need to. I actually left it a bit long for that reason. That would also bring my brace ht. down without making a new string. Somehow I came out about an inch short? I dunno what the heck happened there.   :rolleyes:

[kountzer0]

Whoa...outa my leage with that stick Chris.  Here is what I "see" though.  The left limb looks just a touch stiffer in all the pics, but it looks like a very nice bend.

I think you might need to visit it after you get the right one sorted out.

I must be crazy commenting here at all, but that's just what I see.

I hope I last long enough at this to look at a stick like that and say to it "wanna shoot some arras? Hold still this won't hurt a bit"

[4est trekker]

Ditto what John said.  The gizmo is awesome, but won't really help you at the fades.  Get her bending more there and do lower that brace height.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Jeff- All and everyone's observations are welcome in any of my threads. Especially when I'm asking for opinions. More eyes the better.
Osage ain't outta your league man, if you can tiller that hickory bow you can build you one outta Osage no problem. It's a very forgiving wood if you work it right and take your time.

I plan to get a little more bend in the fades and a bit more arc overall, then I believe I'll call it good. Don't want to take too much more off and lose my draw wt.

Curt- Yes, I may end up undoing and retwisting my braids on my flemish string to let it out another inch. I'm usually pretty good about hitting the exact length I want, but for some reason I must have been in a hurry or had my head up my arse when I made this one. Cause I missed it by a full inch. I thought it would stretch or be able to let some of the twist out, but it's just too short. Worst case I'll just make a new one and save this one for another bow. No biggie.

[kountzer0]

Thank you Chris.  Very nice things to say.  I hope to get confident enough to work with a stave at some point, much less the venerable Osage.

Thanks again.

Jeff

[Art B]

Art - Right now it's rectangular with only the edges of the limbs rounded to prevent splinters. If that helps any. I had planned to just leave the profile like that and basically just smooth all the square edges, but still your basic rectangular limb profile.

Boy, this wide screen is worse than I thought. Sure looks like a straight side taper from fade to tip on your bow Semo. Perhaps you meant rectangular "cross section"? Art

[Eric Krewson]

The only advise I could give is to slow down a bit on your wood removal. Those hingy spots show up when you get aggressive with your scraper.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Now you got me confused Art. It is a straight edge profile from fade to tip, one continuous gradual taper from 1 1/4" to 3/4" from fade to tip. The limb profile from the sides is flat with the edges rounded, make sense?

Eric- I've been using the palm sander since I started taking the pics, but I'm using 150 grit sandpaper so I may need to downsize the paper or just not hit it quite as long? I only scraped until I got an even bend in both limbs then switched over to the palm sander. It appears and feels nice and flat now, but I need to put the gizmo on it again. Hopefully I'll have some progress to post this afternoon.

[Art B]

Then you have a pyramidal limb design Semo. With a rectangular limb cross section.

A true pyramid limb design would only need it's side taper to produce the proper braced/drawn profile. Belly thickness would be the same from fade to tip. Since yours isn't a true pramidal design your limbs would still require a slight belly taper.

A cross section view of your limb would be like looking into the end of your limb and taking note of it's shape...Art

[Roy from Pa]

Semo, put 220 grit on the palm sander. The 150 is what got you in trouble.

[Eric Krewson]

I put the gizmo on mine every time I do anything to it. Remember, work the whole limb, don't isolate spots.

Another thing I do is put the bow on the scale and see where the target weight is. When I get to the target weight at 20", I pull the bow to 20" about 30 times on the tree then shoot it a dozen times or more drawn to about 20" between each scraping. From then on I mix tree pulling and shooting as I ease the target weight to the desired draw length.

Nothing registers a change in tiller from a good scraping like the snap of the limbs on a shot.

Someone once posted I was way off for stating you need to shoot a bow during the tillering process to register wood changes, they said  tree flexing was enough. Don't guess they had made as many bows as I have.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Your not the only one that does it that way Eric. The Ferret Board bow plans that started me on this journey years ago said to do the same thing. How many times have we read about a tiller changing after shooting it a few times once it was "finished"?

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Ok here's an update. I sanded down the high spots and did a little more work on the fades.
How you like me now?

I still see a bit of a flat spot on the right side fade........does anybody else see the same thing? I don't want to take much more off if I don't have to or I'll lose my target wt.

Thanks for looking.

First is the strung pic and I did let my string out about an inch and got the brace height down to 6" from the handle. It looks better now I think and looks about right to me.

 

Next is 2 pics of the bow drawn to 24" and I have shot it out to full draw. About 15 shots in between tillering. So far so good.
The second pic in the series is the same pic just holding the camera up higher to get more of a straight on shot at the bow in the draw position. I'm getting a shadow under the limbs that can be decieving. My lighting in the garage sucks.

 

 

[Eric Krewson]

Still have that hinge in the middle of the right limb. I am sure the gizmo will point the weak spot out. The left limb looks mighty good.