Must get this bow right

[Filip]

Hello everyone! This is my first post on this forum, I'm writing it because I wanted to ask you for help with tillering. So far, this will be my second bow and I hope I get it right this time. The handle on my first bow came off, I tried to repair it but it keeps coming off so I abandoned it in the shed and now that the season has started, I'm left with nothing to shot with.

So this bow I'm making now, while I have time off school, is a pyramid bow backed with two or three layers of linen fabric. I aim for about 40 - 45# at 28''. So far I got it to a brace height but I think my string is little too long as the distance from the handle to the string is less than a hand and a thumb.

This is it when it was braced for the first time:

From what I can see is that the right limb bends more near the handle (is that good?) than the right one but generally it is more stiff. What do you think? Should I make the left limb bend more near the handle or is it good as it is?

Now another matter, do you think it's twisting a little? It might be because of bad roughing out.


I want to shoot three fingers under and I can't remember if the limbs should bend evenly or one a touch less?

[Dauntless]

Before continuing you might want to cut out your handle.

Anyways for your tiller I think you could give a couple scrapes in the right mid limb, other wise it looks good for a low brace.  If you want to shorten the string, twisting it should allow you to get to your fistmele. Folding one of the nock loops on itself to make a slipknot of sorts will shorten the string even more.

The handle on your first bow is popping off because the wood underneath it needs to be stiff. You might be able to turn it into a D-bow if the handle area isn't too thin.

[bubby]

you can lay the handle out similar to this, also go to the how to's and at the top is the tillering gizmo, make one of those and it'll make tillering your bows way easyer, Bub

[Del the cat]

looking good but we need to see it draw back a bit more.
Don't pull it more tan final draw weight or to any point where it starts to look too uneven.
Del

[ScottN]

I would also strongly recommend making a "tillering gizmo" if you have not yet made one. Here is a picture of the one I made. This is an older pic before I finished it, I can take a finished picture if you would like. It was very helpful in my tillering process.

left click to open in a new bigger window

[gstoneberg]

I often leave a handle unfinished until I'm ready to start drawing the bow, especially if I think the bow is pushing the envelope and might fail.  I always leave it a little thick so I can clamp it hard in the vice without spoiling the finish.  I shoot 3 under and make my lower limb a little stiffer.  I'm with Del, seeing it drawn further will really help.  Be careful of scraping too much right off the handle.

George

[Dane]

The best advice I can give you is to TAKE.....YOUR....TIME. Dont rush it, we all have to fight getting impatient and wanting to finish a bow. Just take you time on this. Slow and steady wins the race for turtles and for bowyers.

Dane

[Filip]

As for the first bow, I did consider turning it into a D-bow but I have cut an arrow rest into the handle so I'm not sure how that will work, I might look into the matter some other time.
It's quite busy in the house today, if I find some time I might pop into the garden and cut the handle out as you suggested. If there is some time left I will draw the bow a little further and tiller it and yes I am using the tillering gizmo, quite a useful tool
Dane, that is a good advice, I indeed was trying to rush it a little.
Thank you for all the help, I'll keep you updated.

[crooketarrow]

  DANES RIGHT I built over 100 bows and I tiller at a snails pace.
  What your looking at today will be look totally different tomorow.
  GO SLOW NEVER OVER STRESS YOUR LIMBS.
  I file in my handle and shelf  in the bow along with the limbs . AFTER I GET THE LIMBS TO HANDLE STRAIGHT. I ruff in my handle And keep working it in as I build the bow. This way I keep the handle in line as I work in the limbs. Just the way I learned to do it with a stave. A board you can be a little more to form and add later. With a stave your handle has to be but in with curves of the stave. May have to be moved a little one way or the other.
  I'm no saying it the right way but it is for me the way I build my bows.

[Del the cat]

I'm with Crooketarrow, with a wide grip you can adjust it to be in line with the tips as the bow progresses and it gives some room for adustment. No need to rush the grip. IMO grip final adjustment is one of the last things to do as part of the tuning or the bow along with the arrow pass, nocking poit etc.
It's a good idea to leave your tips wider during tillering to allow some lateral adustment of the string line and to help compensate twist if you do get some.
Wide tips wide grip gives you tons of adjustment.
Del

[DarkSoul]

I can see a minor hinge developing in the left midlimb. Nothing major (yet), but just don't scrape the midlimb for now. Instead, you need to scrape the inner limb (from handle fade up to midlimb) of the left limb. That should sort the slight hinge out. I like the bend in the right limb better, although that one could indeed also use a mild scrape as Dauntless points out. It's just minor corrections, really. Take.......your......time!

[Filip]

So I went down to the garden, the weather was nice, and i worked on the my bow. I did what you guys recommended, thank you for that. I have cut the handle and tillered it a little more, now it can be drawn to about 24''. Could you take a look at the photo and say if the tiller looks alright and I can pull it those 3 or 4 inches further without a problem. The draw weight should come out just perfect.

[DarkSoul]

The fade in the left limb is (still) a little bit stiff. Compare the bend in the left fade to the bend in the right fade. The limb on the right starts bending closer to the handle. Scrape the first ten inches from the fade ten times with a card scraper, and then check tiller again. Repeat if necessary.

You're very close now. Don't pull it to the full drawlength yet! Resist the temptation...

[Pappy]

Dido DarkSoul ,Looking good,you are almost there ,what weight and draw are you looking for ?
    Pappy

[blackhawk]

Your so close and at the point where i wanna see what the bow looks like drawn in the hand. Because it can vary and differ a little sometimes compared to the tree. I have an arrow marked every inch so i know exactly how far im drawing. So if your down to 24" then check it drawn to 24" in your hand. And id use the left limb as your bottom limb because that real subtle stiff spot in the fade there could open up more if drawn in the hand,or it could not. But it will tell you better what you need to know at this point in the game IMHO.