My board is starting to look like a bow

[Zradix]

Got a little more done last night.
Got the limbs planed/sanded to the right taper.
Glued the tips on.
Glued the riser block on.
 
 
 
 
 

[Zradix]

Also, I played around with staining some silk for the backing.
 

Not sure if I like it or not......sure isn't as nice as I was hoping...still undecided. Might have to lay it on the bow and kinda wrap it around to see how it looks when it's in the shape of the bow.

doesn't look as bad like this...
 

[Zradix]

Did a little more work tonight.

Marked my line at 1/2" thick limbs using a jig similar to 4est trekker's.
Just looking now...that picture is weird. The jig isn't cut at an angle at all. Just a square cut piece glued to another square cut piece..weird.
   

Then used the top of a planer sander drum to work the riser down to the right depth and semi rough sand the belly down.

Next will be hand planing/sanding the belly nice and flat using calipers to check my depth.

My board is actually starting to look like a bow...
   
   
   

[Zradix]

trued up the belly last night.
Tried floor tillering.
Both limbs were bending throughout a bit.
Seemed pretty stiff though..

Made a gizmo today.

Tonight I'm hoping to build a little tillering tree/post, round the edges, cut some small string grooves, and try a long string...see how it goes..might not have time for all that...

If all goes well and it looks like I'm somewhat close to an even starting point on the tiller I might glue the silk on.

Kinda tempting to wait a while on the backing just so I don't rough it up while scraping..I dunno.

Also, I'll need to check on a tip that wanted to go sideways last night. Have that clamped since last night. Might have to heat it or steam it I guess..never done that.

Worried about heating the glued on tip overlay too much.
Think I read somewhere that TB3 lets go at 150˚..that's not very hot...

[Roy from Pa]

Looking good.

[Mike Most]

Dont get carried away trying to bend it a lot without rounding over the edges, you will lift something you wish you hadnt.  I wonder how I knew that......

[Zradix]

Thanks Roy and Mike.

I took your advice and rounded off the edges a bit Mike.

Not too bad right off the bat.
Right limb needs thinning to get it bending as far as the left.
Also, looking at the pics, I think the bow may have been slightly crooked on the stand.

The fades seemed to bend first and the farther I pulled the more the mid limb and tips started to bend in comparison.
I think I'll need to get those limbs sorta tapered toward the tips more to get the whole limb working more.

Looks like both limbs will need significant reduction to get to my target of 45#@28"

Hard to see in the pic but it was about 29# there with a string that was just long enough to hang about 2" in the middle.

Stinks I didn't have enough room to get the right tip from extending to the door frame.
Might end up putting the tiller station between the studs....

Thanks for the help so far gents!

Please don't judge the electrical too harshly...just one more "project" that came with the house. It's just workroom outlets.
I do need to secure the lines though.

   

[Mike Most]

I know you have heard this before but get the short string on as soon as possible. I remember doing a lot of work on the inner thirds and middle thirds but not as much on the outer thirds in relation to the other two. Lots of scraping and exercising the limbs between scraping. Use the "GIZMO"

Looking Good

[Zradix]

Thanks Mike.

Sounds like good advice.

[Roy from Pa]

Cut in your string grooves now, and use a regular  bow string, but a longer regular string so that when you string the bow, the string lays tight against the belly of the bow. After the limb tips are bending to 4 inches and all looks good, go to a shorter string and string the bow to a 3 inch brace height and continue tillering. After the limb tips are bending to 9 inches and all looks good, string that bow to a 6 inch brace and finish tillering it out.

[Draffish]

looking good mate

[Mike Most]

Hey z.. any more pictures??

[Zradix]

Sorry Mike.
I don't have any just yet.

I've done some tillering work and it's coming along slowly.
Just haven't had a lot of time to work on it lately..15 mins here and there..
She's getting a bit of string follow now.
I haven't measured it, but I'd say the tips are about 1" off the table.

Speaking of the tips..they look pretty awful.
I messed up..Measured from the tip to make one groove..measured from the base of the overlay on the other..      

Had to even them up after and they just look like hell.
I might endup cutting the tips off and putting some new grooves in..we'll see.

I'm waiting on a real string at the moment.

Right now I'm considering gluing the silk backing on while I'm waiting.
Not sure if I want to back or not.  

I'm contemplating resting the tips only on the belly side on a couple blocks. Then C-clamping a weight to the belly side of the riser to straighten her out..maybe a slight bit of reflex.

Then gluing the silk on while it's being held like that.

Sound like an ok thing to do..or a recipe for disaster?

[John Scifres]

Forget about anything but tillering.  Your board is fine without backing.  Tips can be finished later.  Get it tillered before worrying about aesthetics, tip overlays, correcting string follow, etc.  You won't get the follow out so just get her shooting.

[Zradix]

I really don't expect to get the follow out.
Just thought doing it that way I MIGHT  get just a touch amount out.

[Zradix]

...but it is very tempting to have no backing at all..

[macbow]

Don't think your going to get away from the string follow, just go with it.

When you do string grooves the next time, forget about measuring.
Just mark the first groove on each limb.
File that out. Then put the file in the groove and hold it out so it's on the opposite side, eye ball and mark the other side using the file for the imaginary line.

[Zradix]

I'm sorry Macbow..
I'm not understanding.

[Zradix]

I think I get what what you're saying now..

I was thinking of filing the top groove only..
Then bracing the bow.
Trace the string for the innermost postion of the side of the groove.
Then pull her back on the tree to full draw.
Trace the string on the outermost side.
Then relieve the are between the marks for free string travel..
   

[macbow]

Just got back inside .
I'd be,afraid to try that top groove only .
You will get used to the angle as you do more of them.
I just mark a little less than 45 degree angle line no one side.
Cut it in.
Where I use a file in the groove to help visualize the other side another way is to use a square to mark the top and bottom of the other side then connect the dots.

I don't worry about the groove in the top of the limb till I've added overlays when the tillering is done. The side grooves do all the work.