Need help tillering a youth bow

[Don Drake]

I am working on a youth bow for my nine year old grand daughter.  It is 44" nock to nock and I am wanting it to be about 25# at 20".

The stave was not as thick as I would like, so the handle is thinner than I normally want, but it seems to be working okay.

I am having trouble with the fades, especially on the upper limb.  

In the pics, the upper limb is to the right.  Its hard to tell from the pics, but the bow is balanced on the point of the attic door knob, not resting the knob housing.

I greatly appreciate any suggestions.

   

   

   

I shot about 20 arrows with it and I am getting about 4" penetration in a WalMart styrofoam target at 45the feet.

[AKmud]

Your left limb is workable, but the right is hinging at the fade.  Start working that right limb from midway on out before anything else.

[Don Drake]

Thank you, I worked on the upper limb from mid-limb out, then took a little more off of the entire lower limb.

This first pic is the before:

 

Here is the bow now:

 


Huh, doesn't look like it changed much. Should I try again on the upper limb.  Removing wood from mid-limb out?

[George Tsoukalas]

It is great to see you making bows and wanting to make one for your daughter. That stave was not ready to be braced and it is braced too high until the problems are fixed. Don, the bending should start at the end of the fades and gradually increase out to the tips and  look like a radar dish.  Left limb needs to bend more closer to the handle. Leave the area just before mid limb alone.  Right limb needs to bend more about mid limb on. I'd just use a scraper like tool now. There's info on my site. Jawge
 http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[Don Drake]

I have removed wood from the upper limb (right) from mid limb out.  I removed wood from the the lower limb from the fade to mid limb.  Them removed more wood from the lower limb from below mid limb out.

This dropped the weight down to 15# at 20", which is below target, so I removed one inch from each tip and renocked.  The weight is now at 20# at 20" (using a 2x4 and my bathroom scale).    

Here is what it looks like now. I'm afraid if I take off too much more wood, it will be just a decoration!!

I did learn a lot from this exercise though.  I am ordering a bow scale and using a pully system to tiller the next bow.

 

 

Should I continue to tinker or leave well enough (or not well enough) alone?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Don can you see that straight spot with zero bend for what appears to be 18-20" on the upper limb? That needs to bend badly. If it wasnt osage it probaly would have blown on you long ago. I would make this tiller correct, even if it screws up your target weight.

[Don Drake]

I took some more wood off of the upper limb (on the right).  Here is the way it is bending now.

 

 

Any thoughts?

We had thanksgiving dinner with some of our missionaries and one said his father makes osage bows.  He told a story about how one exploded and showered his dad with splinters.  Now my wife is afraid of giving the bow to a nine year old girl!!

[PEARL DRUMS]

Thats better Don. If you take a peek at the before and after pics of just that area you will see what changed after your added work. It could use a few more scrapes though. That arch you can see starting to develop needs to be maintained through the working portion of the limb, evenly.

[Don Drake]

Took a few more scrapes on the upper limb.  Shot a bunch of arrows.  It feels good!!

I will start sanding and finish and post a pic when done.

Thanks for all of the help guys.

[Roy from Pa]

Very nice recovery.