Author Topic: black locust flatbow in progress. (Read 4921 times)

Henrik · « **on:** January 25, 2012, 08:56:22 am »

Hey all.

Currently I'm working on a Black Locust flatbow. Just started the tillering process. I do need a little advice on the right limb.

The outer ½ of the limb is slightly crooked. throughout the bow I have kept the belly flat, with a slight curve on the back, due to the stave coming from a 5-6 inch diameter log.

How would you proceed from here?

dwardo · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2012, 08:59:05 am »

Problem with the pics i think

Henrik · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2012, 09:02:22 am »

Quote from: dwardo on January 25, 2012, 08:59:05 am

Problem with the pics i think

Yeah I messed up the links, but it should be good now..

Henrik · « **Reply #3 on:** January 25, 2012, 10:49:44 am »

A couple more pics with a bit more draw on the bow. (seems more crooked now)

George Tsoukalas · « **Reply #4 on:** January 25, 2012, 11:20:32 am »

I don't understand what you are seeing as a problem except that both limbs need to bend a little more close to the handle. Jawge

Henrik · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2012, 11:24:59 am »

Quote from: George Tsoukalas on January 25, 2012, 11:20:32 am

I don't understand what you are seeing as a problem except that both limbs need to bend a little more close to the handle. Jawge

Well George. I don't really know if there is a problem at all

What I see is a twist along the right limb , and it seems to twist more if I draw the bow back more. But I have no idea if this is a problem or not...

Pappy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 25, 2012, 11:30:23 am »

Is it natural propeller or has it came into it as you worked the limb? If it is natural you will probably have to flip the bow from side to side to be able to see the tiller,if it has started after you started tillering you probably have one limb to thin on one side.

Pappy

Henrik · « **Reply #7 on:** January 25, 2012, 11:42:34 am »

Quote from: Pappy on January 25, 2012, 11:30:23 am

Is it natural propeller or has it came into it as you worked the limb? If it is natural you will probably have to flip the bow from side to side to be able to see the tiller,if it has started after you started tillering you probably have one limb to thin on one side.
Pappy

Ahh propeller is the term

well it is natural.

So what you are saying is to just let it propeller and tiller the bow. or can I somehow get this propeller out of the wood?

Pappy · « **Reply #8 on:** January 25, 2012, 11:46:56 am »

The only way I know to get it out is heat and straighten it,someone else may have another way,I have never had much luck tillering it out,I either heat and straighten it or live with it if it isn't to bad.

Pappy

Henrik · « **Reply #9 on:** January 25, 2012, 12:10:24 pm »

Quote from: Pappy on January 25, 2012, 11:46:56 am

The only way I know to get it out is heat and straighten it,someone else may have another way,I have never had much luck tillering it out,I either heat and straighten it or live with it if it isn't to bad.
Pappy

Thanks pappy

I did try heating and bending but I probably were a bit to scared of ruining the wood because even though I heated the wood untill I couldn't touch it and bent it a bit more than to the straight point and let it sit there until cool. but it just snapped right back again.

But then again I am very new to all this so probably did something wrong

randman · « **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2012, 07:52:15 pm »

That limb twist is not necessarily a bad thing unless it is moving the tip sideways thereby taking the string out of alignment with the handle. I am in the process of learning how to control limb twist on whole limbs and even in specific areas where the limb may only twist in a 6" area or so. It especially helps where you have snakey/corkscrew stave/limb that wants to twist in your hand like a brace and bit. You can make specific areas on the limb twist the direction you want it to by thinnning/weakening the side of the limb in the direction you want it to twist. Since yours is a natural twist that doesn't respond heat you may be able to weaken the area (a tiny bit) of the limb farthest from you (looking at the pic) to make it twist the opposite way in that area. The problem is you need to catch areas like that early in the process to prevent removing too much and lowering the draw weight after the fact.
I'm no expert though, still learning myself.
This post was a real epiphany to my understanding of limb twist
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,27206.msg364029.html#msg364029

gstoneberg · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2012, 09:39:09 pm »

I usually don't worry about twist until I get the bow strung at a low brace height. Then you'll be able to better see what's going on. A bow can still be a good shooter with some twist, but I normally take it out anyway with heat. It doesn't look too bad to me so I'd continue tillering.

George

mikekeswick · « **Reply #12 on:** January 26, 2012, 04:53:07 am »

Yes wait till it's strung to decide if it's a problem or not. Personally with bows like this I leave the handle wide until final tillering then I know where the string 'wants' to sit and simply shape the handle to the string. This works a treat and saves lots of risky work.

Henrik · « **Reply #13 on:** January 26, 2012, 05:45:59 am »

Tank you everyone, what a great place for us newbies this is

I did have quite the shock yesterday with this bow. as you can see my tillering stick is a long board (it doubles as a work surface, since my entire working area consists of a small ladder that I can fold into a platform).

So here I was working the string a bit. When I hear a very loud crack and a second later get my bow in the neck (only after it flew up and hit the ceiling).

I thought I had snapped yet another bow, but luckily it was just the string that broke. So now I have to find me some new string material before I can continue tillering this bow.

paulsemp · « **Reply #14 on:** January 26, 2012, 07:15:23 am »

had a few strings snap or slip off myself and thought i might need to change my shorts!!!

Primitive Archer