Hawthorn bow tillering problem

[broad_head]

)
Hi Everybody
                        I have been struggling with tillering, what for me is a difficult bow, this hawthorn bow. As you can see from the pictures the handle of the bow needed to be at an angle to make a bow from it. Initially the stave wanted to be left handed but with the persuasion of steam and pressure got it to be right handed. The front view is snaky but the real problem is that the limbs start from different heights at the handle. I floor tillered the limbs to approximately the same weight but when strung one limb looked to be much stronger than the other (photo of bow on the floor) I reduced the weight of the offending limb but it didn’t seem to make much difference to the profile. When you test the strength of each limb by the floor tillering method the visualy stronger limb feels lower in weight? The bow has now been drawn to 28 inches but there is no major set in either limb, this I assume would indicate there was no unequal stress on either side, so the question is do I assume it is correct? Any comments would be appreciated. One thing I forgot to mention is that one limb has developed a collapse/ compression fracture on a small knot coming out from the side, I have drilled this out and glued/ plugged it with dense wood, just hope it holds together when I have cleaned it up.
                                              Peter (UK)

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll140/broad-head/Hawthorn%20bow%20profile/SL370701.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll140/broad-head/Hawthorn%20bow%20profile/SL370708.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll140/broad-head/Hawthorn%20bow%20profile/SL370710.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll140/broad-head/Hawthorn%20bow%20profile/SL370711.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll140/broad-head/Hawthorn%20bow%20profile/SL370712.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll140/broad-head/Hawthorn%20bow%20profile/SL370713.jpg

[Pappy]

Looks really strange,but with what you are working with I would expect that,don't look all that bad to me if you try and take into concederation the off set of the limbs you are working with. :)I would shoot and see how it shoots.Very challenging piece of you you have there.
   Pappy

[Josh]

it looks to me like your right limb is stiff midlimb.  I would try to get that area bending a little more.  Wow man this stave looks very challenging, I wouldn't have even known where to begin on it much less got it this far on my own.  Nice work on such a challenging piece of wood!   -josh 

[nathan elliot]

Challenging piece of wood! I like what you have done with it. A good friend of mine has just made a very nice bow from hawthorn, it too developed a couple of compresion fractures round pin knots. He has shot the bow loads and it seems to be holding up well, so I would not be to concerned. It must be very tricky tillering such a stave. All I can say is well done for turning that stave into a bow.

Nat.

[Pat B]

Peter, what you have done so far looks good. I think I would straighten out the reflex and deflex at the fades so the handle lays flat. It will make so much easier to see tiller.

[fusizoli]

I have  a very simillar elm bow and make a good rd from that stave like yours. Steam the reflexed one to deflex from fade and reflex a bit the other deflexed one with heatgun . It will ballance the problem. I will sinew it to protect the lower inner limb wich was steam back and that got bigger stress on the same draw. Hope the deflexed limb on yours is not overstressed yet, think some heat treat will help after correction.

This is my bow now, waiting for sinew.

[George Tsoukalas]

Wow! That is wild! I think you did a great job with that. Does it feel balanced in the hand when you draw it? If yes, it's a wrap Jawge

[dragonman]

thats a serious character bow you are  working on there, good luck I hope it works out

[medicinewheel]

WOW, that's a challenge!

[fusizoli]

Yes feel it ballanced. Lower inner limb is just a bit stiffer after fades but it is normal after that steamed reflex. With sinew it will be a safe and fine hunting bow arround 60-65# on 25.  I ve found a pic from , thats on the middle. The bow is shooteable now but dont want to draw it over 23 yet. Feels will be a fast killer

[Kirkll]

Some ot the stuff you guys make bows out of here blows my mind.

[broad_head]

Hi all
       Thanks for your comments. I cleaned the plug I had glued into the cracked knot and pulled to full draw a number of times, (Nathan I to have a couple of horthorn bows with small compression fractures that I have been shooting with no ill effects). The compresion fracture is still there but I think it wont go any further into the limb due to the plug.
I know that a number of you have suggested removing some of the deflex/reflex, but being a bit of a masochist I like to try and leave the stave as natural as possible, this one is probably is going a bit to far? I think I will take it out and shoot a few arrows through it and see if it holds up, if so I will finish her off and post a few photos of the finished item.
                                                                                                                                Peter (UK)