Tillering Question

[Miner49er]

I started work on an osage longbow,only this time I flipped the tips a bit.Do you leave the part that curves back thicker than the rest of the limb or do you want them to flex too? Any help will be appreciated.

[Pat B]

Most folks leave the reflexed tips thicker so the tips act like levers, adding performance. You can also tiller the tips so they open up as you near full draw. You can go either way. You can leave the last 6" or so of each tip about 1/2" thick. Later, after you hit first brace and have everything lined up you can narrow the tips to 3/8" or less to reduce physical weight.

[Miner49er]

Thank you very much !

[razorsharptokill]

Are you referring to width or thickness?

[Pat B]

Wood is 8 times stronger in thickness than it is in width. So if you leave it thick (1/2" or so) you can narrow it down to 1/4" if you want, most folks go with 3/8" wide.