Author Topic: tiller help  (Read 6074 times)

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Offline danny f

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tiller help
« on: June 02, 2012, 09:32:23 am »
hi there. started on my first bow recently. its an edge grain ash board bow. i just wanted some expert eyes to tell me what and were i need to remove wood. the pictures are both the same except i reversed the bow on the tiller tree. the tips are moving about 6" so i tried to put the short string on and i cant get it on, is it to early yet?  i bought the string from an archery shop and told them the dimesions of the bow so the string should be the right size hopefully.thanks for any advice danny.



Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2012, 09:43:18 am »
What do you see Danny? Its better to learn than be told.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2012, 09:44:59 am »
It does appear you have forgotten fades. You may have a handle popping issues.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline MWirwicki

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2012, 11:14:36 am »
Maybe this will help you see, Danny.  Your arc looks pretty good.  A little stiff at the tips, but that's what you want.  Otherwise the bow will be whip-ended. 

However, does is look to you like one limb is weaker than the other?  You should have a tillering string.  One that you can shorten, as needed rather than purchasing a string that may/may not be the correct length.  The tillering string would be a "tool" that you can use for all of the bows that you are about to build.

Looking again, it looks pretty good to me.  Are you using a bow stringer to bring it to brace height?  Have you tried a low brace height?  Is the bow too strong?  Is that the reason you are having trouble stringing it?
« Last Edit: June 02, 2012, 11:21:07 am by MWirwicki »
Matt Wirwicki
Owosso, MI

Offline Pat B

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2012, 12:25:24 pm »
Looks pretty good to me so far. You should get a shorter tiller string. It should be only slightly shorter than the bow.   
  To me it looks like you could go to low brace but I'd shorten the tiller string and look again first. Those loooong strings will give you a false reading.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline danny f

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2012, 02:32:22 pm »
cheers for the advice and the elliptical thing is great to check out i could do with learning how to do that with my pics. i havent put fades in yet as i have been following a build along on youtube and he doesnt do anything with the handle until the end. the design is a pyramid bow, . i dont have a tillering string i am just using a braided nylon line that i use for bricklaying, it has a fair bit of stretch though. i have just measured the string that the shop sold me and it is only 62" and it is fairly untwisted. it says on the packet 66". i will stop working on the bow now until i have a proper string and tillering string. the limbs are half an inch thick all the way down and just abit thicker at the tips does this sound about right. or do they need to be thinner.  thanks danny.

Offline danny f

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2012, 01:37:16 pm »
i have been and bought a long string and took this pic, the bow wasnt braced i just got the string as tight as i could which wasnt very. heres a pic. i think the right limb is bending slightly more.

Offline danny f

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2012, 01:37:47 pm »

Offline DarkSoul

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2012, 05:09:35 pm »
Looks good for now :) Put it on a short string so you get a braceheight of 3 or 4 inches. Don't stick with that long string any longer.
"Sonuit contento nervus ab arcu."
Ovid, Metamorphoses VI-286

Offline bubby

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2012, 06:05:34 pm »
It does appear you have forgotten fades. You may have a handle popping issues.

gotta agree with pearlie, if it pops you can go bendy handle or glue thin lam's together to get the thickness you want, Bub
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline danny f

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2012, 05:55:29 am »
thanks, i have now managed to do it although the brace height is low at least the string is tight i will put it on the tree and have a look. also i might take the handle down abit as im worried it might pop off now :)

Offline danny f

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2012, 07:26:04 am »
i have give it a few more scrapes and and got it braced to 3" i have just checked the weight for the first time it is pulling 20 pound at 14".  i am aiming for around 50 pound. and my draw is around 28", heres how it looks drawn to 14". any tips welcome, does the bend looks ok.


Offline Del the cat

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2012, 08:19:17 am »
Hmmm, I think you are going to end up underweight.
IMO
At this stage you should be pulling to about full weight and looking at the tiller as you slowly tease it back and remove wood to increase the draw.
I think you need to gradually pull harder and harder, carefully watching for any assymetry or nasty surprises and try to get at least upto about 40# before removing much more. Give it plenty of exercise and come back in maybe 5# steps checking at each point.
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline danny f

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2012, 08:55:36 am »
cheers for the advice del, im wont be to bothered if i come in under weight as long as it isnt miles underweight. the tiller is more important to me at the moment. i have been to scared to pull it to hard incase it snaps. :-\, i have now drawn it to 18" and the left limb looks stiff. but im unsure of where to remove wood from, i would say probably mid limb. it is pulling 30pound at 18".
i have also braced it to 6"now. heres the most recent pics.



Stringman

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Re: tiller help
« Reply #14 on: June 09, 2012, 09:22:10 am »
I have been feeling all along that the left midlimb is a touch stiff. Do some scraping on that spot and try to get that limb moving alittle more. It aint off by much. Looking good!

I would also be afraid of the handle popping off.