Tillering this narrow osage bow...finished w/pics

[takefive]

Is giving me fits     :confused:    One half of the stave was really narrow so the limbs are only 1 1/8" wide.    The handle area is a deflexed hump that's 7/8" wide at the arrow pass and 1 3/8" at the thickest point, but narrows a lot at the belly, down to about 1/2".  I was leery about taking much more wood off at the fades, as narrow as the handle is.  

 

 

 

 

[takefive]

So here's where I'm at now.  Still looks like it should bend more coming out of the fades?  It's a pretty light bow, a little over 40# now and 66" tip to tip.  Shot about 40 arrows thru it (with my blue taped on rest) and I like the way it shoots.  What do you stave guys think?

 

 

 

[Sam Harper]

That bow's got some sexy curves.  That's what I think.

[takefive]

I'm just hoping they're in the right places, Sam    

[Bowjunkie]

It doesnt look too bad in relation to the unbraced profile, but I'm on my phone and am going to reserve judgement until I get to my computer and can do a better comparison.

Looks like a challenging piece though.

[takefive]

Appreciate you looking it over when you get to your computer, Jeff.  Most of my bows have been from boards and I have a better understanding of what "straight as a board" means now.  These staves are a whole 'nother thing.

[Roy from Pa]

I guess it's ok.  

[John Scifres]

Yes, get it bending a bit more at the fade there on top especially.  Cool bow! Nice job so far.

[takefive]

Thanks Roy, where the heck you been?    

I'll do some careful scraping at those fades, John, especially the top one.  Thanks again!

[Roy from Pa]

I agree with John.

Been around Greg, had some problems but it's all better now.

[Bowjunkie]

Considering everything relative to the unbraced profile, I actually think it looks very good... perhaps a wee lil bit of scraping at the upper fade area, but be careful. Unbraced, the top has more reflex coming out of the handle, so it SHOULD 'look' like it's bending less there.

That's a challenging stave without even considering the width and lack of wood in the handle area. Good job so far.

[bubby]

a few scrapes on the bottom fade, about 10-12 on the top

[takefive]

Thanks for the input guys, it's much appreciated.  I haven't done anything to it yet, but probably will work on it later tonight.  Just going to do some careful scraping on the top fade and see how it looks.  Thanks for the kind words.

Good to see ya on the forum Roy!  I don't trust anybody else to let me know that my bow is ok, I guess.    

[Roy from Pa]

   

[George Tsoukalas]

It looks good. Very difficult tiller.

The area in the upper limb which seems to be in question shows a deflex unbraced. I wonder if everyone forgot that?

Jawge

[Bowjunkie]

I NEVER forget the unbraced profile, Jawge. So no, not everyone :^) Actually, I think the area in question is reflexed unbraced. Remember, the natural shape of this stave is not unlike a reverse-handled longbow.

[takefive]

Thanks for the comments Jawge and Jeff.  Yeah, it is a funky bend coming out of the top fade; it goes right from being deflexed to reflexed.  The stave actually had over 3" of reflex in the top limb, while the bottom one had none.  Originally I tried to even the reflex out with my heat gun, but I lost most of it during tillering so I just flipped the tips.  You're on the money as far as the reverse handle goes, Jeff.
I decided to scrape and sand just the top fade and I think it looks better.  My photographer is gone for the day now, but I'm hoping to have a picture of it later.
Thanks again for all your help, guys.  I have two more staves now, one osage and one hickory, that are both really straight, wide, and thick.  Watch me screw 'em up    

[Bowjunkie]

Lol. I'm sure you'll do fine.

Keep the pictures coming. I haven't got my shop together yet since I moved a month ago, so I'm bowyering vicariously through you guys  

[macbow]

Love these type of posts. Haven't been enough lately.
Looking good.

[George Tsoukalas]

takefive, did you miss a ring at the bend on the back? Jawge