Have a question Guys about tillering

[Roy from Pa]

I asked a couple guys in pm's here, and what they told me is opposite what a good friend of mine says, and he has made a lot of bows. I just gotta get her straight, before I go crazy.

So, I'm pulling my bow on the tillering tree from the center of the handle, bow is 66 tip to tip with even length limbs. As I pull the tillering rope down it drifts to the right of my centered vertical line on the tree. Now does this mean the right limb is too weak or too stiff?

[Balding Kansan]

I would say too stiff. The left limb is giving more and the stiffer right limb is pulling it to the right. Does that make sense? It makes sense in my lil' brain.

[Art B]

You're really worrying over nothing here Roy. A drawn profile on your tillering board doesn't accurately depict a hand drawn profile.

You see a lot of nice drawn profiles of bows on the tillering trees (here on these message boards) only to see those same bows show a greater lower limb bend when hand drawn....Art

[4est trekker]

Roy, Art is spot on in his advice.  He gave me the same advice on here when I started and it has made a world of difference.  I always work my bows to about 2-3 inches short of full draw on the tree and purposefully make the string track toward the stronger limb slightly. I then work them in to full draw in hand using a mirror.

[scrub-buster]

The right limb is stiffer than the left.  I think John Scifres uses a fulcrum on the handle and tillers until it tracks straight.  At least that is how I think he does it.  Maybe he can correct me if I'm wrong.

[fujimo]

so scrub, where exactly does he hook the draw line, at the nock point,below the nock point or centre of the draw hand position( middle finger).
which finger should carry most of the draw?
thanks
wayne

[Roy from Pa]

4est, I wouldn't trust that old fart hill billy Art from WV any farther than I could throw him:) But he has given me some good advice also. Even though I don't agree with how he tillers his bows mind ya.. I really like his handle design though and the extended 6 inches at 1 1/4 wide  out from the flares idea held to the same width as the flares, then even taper to 1/2 at the tips and a 1/8th taper from the 6 inch mark to the tips on the thickness of the limbs.

Here is the bow I am working on now with Art's layout.  

 

 

 

[SEMO_HUNTER]

So how did your experiment turn out?

[Roy from Pa]

Rope pulls to the strong side:)

[Art B]

Feel better now Roy!

I'm not even for sure it's a strong/weak side issue. Could be from uneven limb bend too. Looks like the entire right limb is sharing the work load where as the left limb, most of the stress is concretrated just outside the lower fade. Giving you a false positive.

Glad I could muddy the waters for you ol' bud........Art

[Roy from Pa]

Well that's just where I quit last night ole timer:) Got a ways to go and looks like the left limb is a little flat from mid limb out, I'll get her pretty for ya Art:)

[Art B]

Remember Roy, it's not so much about having a stronger lower limb, but where you make it stronger.

With the drawn profile you're showing on the tillering board right now, I would expect that to change when drawn by hand. Lower limb will come round (because of your split finger draw), leaving you with a pretty darn good looking drawn profile. I'm proud of you my man.....Art

[2treks]

I like that Roy,mid-limb on the left looks a tiny bit flat.I think Art is on with it coming round when drawn by hand.
I like my nocking point to travel south as I draw,This seems to give a good feel at the loose as well as good arrow flight.
I think points out the fine art of tillering eh?
Nice looking bow.
Chuck

[George Tsoukalas]

You want to rock you baby in the cradle but you don't want your stave rocking in the cradle. Well, it took me 10 years into making bows that when the stave is rocking in the cradle that one side is appreciably stiffer than the other. If the tillering string drifts to the right as you face  the rope and pulley then the right is the strong side. I never did like playground seesaws. Rather be playing football or baseball. Judging from Art's comments I probably should be playing baseball rather than making bows, Roy. Honestly, I don't see anything wrong with that tiller. Just imagine if y'all just knew me as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox and not as Jawge the tiller  hack.    Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

Food for thought.....I'll probably regret these comments but thankfully there is an edit feature. Seriously, both limbs in that picture look to me to  have an identical tiller. I've noticed that in the last 10 years selfbowyery has really been influenced by fiberglass bows. That is understandable. Heat it and bend it until it looks uniform. Cut the handle to center (just past is better). Trim up the width. Make one straight line from end of fade to nocks. Put over overlays on osage (one of the hardest woods!). Fast flight string. Now we're talking! Take out those roller coasters and dog legs. No knots allowed. The fiberglass mentality is what Paul Comstock calls it. Mind you this is not necessarily a bad thing. Just not my thing. I guess I'm old school.    Jawge

[George Tsoukalas]

Thanks. I feel better now. Got that off my chest. Going to finish some arrows for my daughter. Jawge

[StoneAK]

George,
 Traditional archery is supposed to be old school buddy. Sometimes we all need to vent yours just makes more sense than mine. Keep venting we all need to hear it. It keeps us in check

[Art B]

Don't even own a glass bow George. Only owned one, and that was back in the early 70's. Like football, disgust baseball though! I'm not one that plays just to play, but one that plays for keeps.

The more efficient the equipment the more efficient the kill. That's my only mentality.

Happy to enlighten you George......Art

[George Tsoukalas]

I am certainly happy to be enlightned, Art. Believe me I can use all that I an get.
"The more efficient the equipment the more efficient the kill. That's my only mentality."
Me too. My rant wasn't about efficiency, for the record.
But, Art, there is no need to put baseball down.    Jawge

[Art B]

George, I hope you didn't misinterpet my good natural ribbing with Roy. Perhaps that was the comment you were referring to. That was just an extension of private communication. Trying to keep the old fart on his toes.

But since you're a fan of baseball, I'll refrain from speaking ill of the sport ever again.    Art