longbow tiller question

[ASterud]

I'm fairly new to traditional archery and have been barrowing and shooting my uncles bows until recently when I decided I needed my own.  So I am building one but I am now confused with the tillering process.  Both limbs had a slight reflex when I started but know one limb seems to have developed more string follow and each time I remove wood and get it back on the tiller tree the other limb with more apparent reflex seems a bit stiff.  Any help would be appreciated.  I'm a little lost in the process.  Thank-you Andrew.  :confused:

[poekoelan]

Hmmm.
Since you use the words "tiller tree" and "string follow", can I safely assume that you are talking about a self bow?

If it is a self bow, what you are describing sounds normal. I've had to play catch up with limbs on just about every bow I've made to one degree or another.

Just be sure that you don't have a hinge in the limb that has some string follow. A hinge is a spot on the limb that is bending too much while the rest of the limb isn't bending enough. If you don't have a hinge and everything is ok, you'll just have to get a tad more aggressive on the other limb. Pics on the tiller would help us to see what is going on.

[ASterud]

thanks poekoelan.  I don't think I've got a hinge problem, I made one of those cheater dohickys from a 6" 1x2 with the pencil in the middle and everything seems to be arcing the same.  However, you were absolutley right about getting more aggressive, as this is my first bow I have been tip-toeing around and after some reassurance in your post I started scraping with a very nice scraper my little bro made me out of my buck knife when he tried to split the pelvis on his doe this fall (I could send it back to Buck but it's a heckuva good scraper).  Things are looking much better now I'll post some pics ASAP and any and all constructive critisism is welcomed from everyone, I want to do this right.  Any other advice about trad equipment shooting ect is also welcome as I said I'm a newbie and don't mind a little guidence.
Thanks

[Terry Green]

TTT

[ASterud]

Okay this is what I've got on the tiller tree so far.  Any opinions are welcome I think I'm on the right track.

[NorthShoreLB]

Getting a red X instead of pictures

[ASterud]

I'll try it again.

[ASterud]

Another try for the pic

[Pat B]

It's time for a short string. Once you get to that draw length(6"-8") with a long string it will affect the way your tiller looks. Use a short string and about a 4" brace height. This way you can tell if everything is lineing up OK and you will get a true vision of your tiller.
  Also, with a wood bow, depending where the stave(or board) came from in the tree, your top and bottom limb can bend differantly even though the limbs are the same. With wood, you have to tiller each limb seperately but you have to have both limbs bending together and recovering together. Wood isn't glass. Glass is static and predictable. Wood is organic and variable.   Pat

[gwhunter]

2nd Pat B.

I have had a problem in the past with trying to get my bows to bend too close to the handle.  We need to remember that the middle of the limb is supposed to do the majority of the work.  I may be off here but it looks to me that the middle of left limb may have a small flat spot.  Let's hear what others have to say.  
You are doing a good job, keep at it!

[ASterud]

Thanks Pat B. I wasn't sure when to go short string and hoped someone would reassure me that it was o.k.

gwhunter- Now that I look at the pic on here I can see where you are talking about a flat spot, never saw it on the tree.  Thanks.

Also, I checked the weight at the draw in the pic and it is 46lbs. I am going for 52#@28 and don't know what the weight should be at say 10 inches.  Can I expect 2-3 lbs. per inch of draw?  If so do I scrape until I am at 16lbs. @ 10 inches?  Thanks for the help guys.

[EASTERNARCHER]

Dang....ain't nothin' wrong with that work!
You don't give yerself enough credit!
Listen to the guru's...they'll walk ya thru.

[Hornseeker]

Lookin good A! Yep..wait for some more guru answers..I certainly am not one of them!

Ernie

[ASterud]

Here is a pic at brace height.  Any comments?

[NorthShoreLB]

left limb looks nice, rigth one pretty stiff at mid, almost hinging out of the fade.

but wait to hear what the real bowyers have to say!!!

[ASterud]

First full draw    

[NorthShoreLB]

I wouldn't pull that bow to full draw with that kind of tiller

[the Ferret]

Andrew, you have close to a hinge on the lower limb you have to avoid like the plague (marked in red). You are stiff coming out of both fades and near the tip on the upper limb (marked in green.)Give it about5 scrapes in each of the green area NO scrapes in the red area, and then see how it looks.

 

[ASterud]

O.K. here it is back on the stick.  I have taken some from the fades but am not sure how things are going.  I use my tillering gizmo and still get a mark from about mid limb to the tips on both sides, do I just keep scraping until it is even (no line)?  Frustration is starting to set in, maybe I bit off more than I can chew.  Thanks for all the input.

sorry about the shadows. This is at 20 inches
left still stiff at fade. right?

Thanks -ASterud

[PV]

Left is stiff at the fade.Right limb is better but still looks hingy.You should get a line depending on your design 6-10" from the tips. The tips shouldn't bend much at brace height.When frustration sets in put the bow away for a while and come back when your mind is clear.This is a great first attempt. Not many get even this far
Paul