More flat bow tiller check please.

[John Malone]

My first attempt at a flat bow. Red oak 69 inches t2t, 1 and 5/8 at the fades out to just past mid limb down to 3/8 tips. My tape measure says its even. The string is there so I don't draw past 24 inches which is #47 so I'm hunched up a bit. My target is #50 @28.
 
 
 

[Pat B]

John, the tiller looks good. The upper limb looks like it may have a little twist. Check the thickness, side to side out the limb. It could also just be an optical illusion.

[John Malone]

Thanks Pat, I checked the thickness and used another tool I made no twist.
 If I'm pulling 47 @24 Were should I stop dropping weight? My goal is #50 @28 and I know it will lose some shooting in. Ive read to stop an inch short, so #50 @27 still tillered to 28 then when its shot in it should settle at #50 @28?? I thought of tillering to #55 shooting in then maybe sanding to get it down if its still over??
 That's my main objective with this one is to hit my target weight when its finished.

[Pat B]

Give it a few scrapes full length on both limbs. This will remove weight without changing tiller.
 I think the horizontal lines in the background and especially with the different widths and shadows up top is what was throwing my vision off.

[Roy from Pa]

Not bad, John. Looks like the edges of the limbs are sort of square, unless it's my old eyes. I round off all edges.

[BMorv]

John if your goal weight is 50# then there's no need to stress the bow more than that.  Keep pulling an inch at a time while fine tuning your tiller with the gizmo.  When you reach 50#'s and your tiller is perfect, give full length scrapes like Pat describes.  Pull another inch and repeat.  I would stop at 27" at 50# and tiller to 28" like you asked about.  You'll lose a couple pounds with final sanding.
And being within a couple pounds of your target on one of your 1st bows is good.  On my 1st few if I was within 10 pounds and my bow didn't break I was happy.

[John Malone]

Thanks guys, Roy I'm starting to understand the old eyes problem. I keep em slightly rounded during the process but they could use a lil more rounding going to do that next.
Pat, I took a crowd of pics still trying to find a place were the light and background works.
BMorv, I sand ALOT its not necessary I guess but I sand down to 220 at least every time a tool touches it. Nothing worse than getting a piece perfect then realize ya got a tool mark in it. Plus I found out the hard way that final sand will drop more weight than I thought.
Thanks fellows couldn't have done it without ya.
Think I know what addiction is now, the lumber store may now become my dealer.

[Pat B]

John, on the rounded corner thing...as I tiller a bow I always take 3 scraped on the edges, one at about 45degs then one above and one below removing those slight edges as I remove wood from the belly. Generally it only on the belly as I have already rounded the back. Sometimes that is sufficient especially after sanding but sometimes I even round them more. The old timers(not necessarily us present) used to say the diameter of a pea. That is about a 1/4".
 Do you exercise after each wood removal? Also, do you sweat the bow as you're tillering. Once I get to low brace and everything looks good I'll leave the bow braced for an hour or so. This will register any weak spots so they are not a surprise later. As the tillering progresses and everything is still OK I will increase the sweat time to as much as 5 or 6 hours near the end. I build all my bows as hunting bows and I want to know they will hold up to a long stand or hunting time. This will also help to eliminate some of the weight loss  with the sanding later.

[Roy from Pa]

Dog gonnit, Pat. I only got ya by +2 years and yer calling me an ole timer? LOL

[John Malone]

Pat, yes I exercise as recommended by Sam Harper in his build at least 30 slow pulls to whatever length I've got it at every time I remove or sand. I do leave it braced and sweat it as you call it, I believe it may have been one of your post were I read that. As far as edges go i don't round them near a quarter, should I?
 Also i don't use a scraper i use a sanding block starting at 120 grit for the edges.

Pat i told you a lie my apologies. That limb has a slight twist right were you said. I had tuned up the width taper before i took that pic. This morning when i strung her up the string was out of line with the handle. The limb thickness back to belly was perfect but one side was slightly out of square which I'm assuming would have the same effect? It didn't take much to sand it up square, after lunch ill string it up and see but i may have put a permanent twist in it. Its not very much just real slight on the last several inches. How would i fix that? I'm usually very meticulous about putting a square on everything and checking frequently but I screwed the pooch on this one.

[John Malone]

For being ole timers looking at crappy pics you fellows got some damn good eyes. Been doing this awhile have ya?

[Roy from Pa]

Been doing this awhile have ya?

Maybe..  

John, this might help you for reference.

Print it out..

 

[John Malone]

Thanks Roy. I keep print outs like that in a binder for reference for my other hobby's, guess i need to start one for bow making. I'm starting to wonder if Hank done it this away?

[Roy from Pa]

All his rowdy friends did..  

[John Malone]

LOL well now I know you aint no millennial.

[Pat B]

Generally with board bows twists is because of differences in thickness and usually only shows up  under tension, braced. Sometimes it could be the way the board was sawn with uneven ring thickness. With any selfbows a little twist doesn't hurt the bow but if uneven enough the twist will increase the farther the bow is drawn.

[John Malone]

Well got the twist out but you brace it and the string goes right outa wack. Checked the alignment t2t through handle its good unstrung. Filed nocks as far as i dare no good. Checked every edge for square and thickness its all good. It didn't do this till i got it tillered down? Never had this happen even the bows that came out bad had good string alignment. I don't know how to explain the grain but is slightly different on one side of upper limb. I cant trim the handle any further so I'm going to shoot it as is with the side string is closer to as strike plate. Its almost a center shot. Can i do that? Going to anyway if i cant fix it.

[Roy from Pa]

It's probably the grain causing it. Be careful shooting it if it's too bad.

[John Malone]

Hold my beer and watch this $%^&.

[Roy from Pa]

LOL