BBI Tiller Done---> .02??? More Pics

[Tilbilly]

First of all, Happy New Year to all here!!!

After blowing up a coupla hickory bows real good, here's my first attempt at BBI, and third attempt at making a bow.

72" total, 54#@28" (AMO). Used a good Hanson scale(300#er). Pulled it 400 times so far on the tiller tree.

There was some suggestion to follow the Jim Hamm(?) recipe of leaving long, long handle with stiffer fades, slightly whip-tillered. I tried for that. 3" "Perry Reflex", relaxed it now looks straight. Haven't applied a finish yet. 1/2" nicks will get narrowed to 3/8" or so.

Not perfect, but I'm hooked and want to make more.

**Gimme your .02, and be BRUTAL. I can take it  **

[Pat B]

The tiller looks good to me. The tips are a bit stiff but if it shoots well I wouldn't worry about it. You could remove 3" to 4" from each its and reduce the weight back down where you want it or just leave it like it is and enjoy it.     Nice work!     Pat

[John B.]

I like to see more bending close to the fades, but you said you were going for a long stiff handle.  Looks like you achieved that to me!

Can you show us an unbraced side view?

[Hillbilly]

Looks like the bottom limb might be bending more than the top, if so, I'd flip it upside down. I bet it shoots smooth.

[dragonman]

you would have got more out of the reflex and an easier tillering if you had brought the belly wood down much closer to its finished size  before gluing on the bamboo , but now you 'll have the dimensions for the next one, thats how I do it.

[Badbill]

I agree with Hillbilly that bottom limb looks like it is bending just a wee bit more. It might be best to flip it over.

[Tilbilly]

Some pics from my lair tonight. Scraped a coupla flat spots, narrowed tips to 3/8", drew a whole bunch. Weight the same. Took pics.

[Tilbilly]

Did I mention the handle popped off?   

[Badbill]

Its looking good. Sorry to hear about the handle. Do you know the reason?

[sailordad]

is it bending at all in the handl area during draw?
if so it mat be the casue of the handle popping off.

[Tilbilly]

Thanx for the input, gents. Much appreciated.

Ipe is 1" thick there. Put a 6" scale on it while strung and there's a .01 inch gap. It's bending. I've got leather to build it up.
In the first pic I'm just holding the zebra on by hand. Gonna try an experiment first.
 I dished the heck out of the zebra handle so it's pretty thin and able to bend slightly. I'll epoxy it on today. After a coupla days maybe string the bow and see what happens........

[dragonman]

a handle poped off an ipe bow of mine because I didnt degrease it thoroughly before gluing!!

[Tilbilly]

I degreased it thoroughly with acetone. Kept going 'til there was no brown oil coming off. One thing I failed to do was
"score" the surfaces. Degreased again and scored with a hacksaw blade. Gluing now as we type 

Put a coupla arrows through her before handle gluing. She has authority. Still a gentle bump in the hand with the tiny tips.
But nothing to complain about. Much less than before thinning tips.I really like this bow.

The 'boo was just some stuff from Master Gardens, and it had some "spalting" in it. After sawing it flat at my Pa's ( Ekwos)
place, Pa grabbed it and bent it like a hoola hoop lol. So that gave me confidence it would hold.

[Rich Saffold]

Tilbilly,The handles pop off because the bow is still too stiff outside the fades and this transfers the bending load into the grip section.   Just leave it off and build it up with a little leather on the palm section, or use a good epoxy glue down a 2" thick piece of Ipe and get it bending a bit more outside the fades.

I'd just leave it off, get it bending a little more outside the fades, let the outer limbs bend a hair more and make sure it would draw 29" plus which means its gonna be real smooth at the back of your draw stroke. This should eliminate any thump on loose.

Maybe a little less reflex on the next one, or a light r/d with an inch of net reflex after gluing up..

Yer doing good!

[Tilbilly]

Well, thanx. I'd better be able to churn out something at least shootable. I've been lurking/learning from you guys far to long