Like Walt, I pad my scrappers using electical tape. I use old bow strings while tillering and shooting the bow in. Only after the bow has a finish on do I fit it for a new string. Most new strings bleed so bad I just got tired of cleaning the grooves/overlays up........Art

Something tells me some of my tillering woes could dissapear? Dang this a good thread! Cant wait to get chipping at the next one now.

That's a good idea, Walt. One other thing I forgot to  mention is that it is hard to get the scraper into that the last foot or so of the limb sometimes so I go ahead and unstring. Also, in the early stages of tillering my staves are braces 2-3 inches string to back of stave so getting a tool in there is tough. I unbrace when I have to and leave it braced when I can. Jawge

I have my scraper sharpened for coarse removal on one side and fine on the other so duct tape is out for me.  I've only cut a string completely once and it was a wicked old one that had served me well over the years.  My tillering strings are 16 strand, full twist B-50.

When I'm working on a strung bow I try to scrape only from the tip inward when working the outer limb. I have nicked the tiller string a time or two but not broke one yet. Generally I will unstring the bow to remove wood. When I'm near the end of the tillering process I will do a bit of scraping with the bow strung.

Tons of great info guys.  Thanks for the help.

When braced to 6 ½" – 7" my Bowyers Edge will go to about 3 ½" – 4" from the nock before hitting the string, which is where I want to keep the tip non-bending anyway.  Like Pat, I will work the scraper backwards (from tip to handle) at times.  About every 8-10 tillering cycles I unstring the bow, check the limbs and limb tips for uniformity, and make any need adjustments then.

I do not like fiddling/adjusting with tillering strings so a few years back, I made sixty or seventy strings of various sizes from 54" to 68" and have them hanging on the shop wall.  Now there is always one for my bow students and I can grab various sizes throughout the tillering process as needed.  Eight or ten of them are starting to show a little wear in the loops but they work fine and will be replaced as needed.  Oh ya, I hate building strings.

I work from tips to fades with scrappers anyway so with the string on I just have to be a little more cautious at the tip end.

Everyone's different I suppose Walt, making strings is one aspect I really enjoy. Though my hands aren't all that much up to the task anymore.......Art

Even with the stave strung I still  exercise it 20-30 times at partial pulls after each session. Then I check tiller. Jawge

You guys really got me puzzled with all the exercising you're doing. After a scrapping session I give the bow two-three maybe four short jerks and then check for tiller change. Never ever a problem while working the bow back to draw length.

Perhaps it has something to do with having my tiller in shape at brace height and pretty much just having to reduce weight to final draw length.