How thin will my limbs be? pics added

[Marks]

I'm tillering my first osage bow and I'm getting a little baffled. First off its 66"brb with 8" worth of handle including fades. 1.5" parallel for 12" then pyramid down to .5" tips. Now, I feel like my limbs are thin enough I should be able to short brace it but I can't. How thin are my limbs likely to get?? Should I make my limbs more narrow?

[steve b.]

I'd say they should be a little more than half inch thick mid limb to get some bend.  You should be floor tillering first, not stringing it.  Once you get a good curve and about 3-4" of flex midlimb on the floor tiller then you can go to a string

[adb]

Depends totally on the wood. Be patient, keep tillering, and the wood will be whatever thickness it needs to be. Pics would be valueable.

[Pappy]

I would get it floor tillered,then on the tiller stick or Tiller tree and go from there.
Most will come out [at least on my bows for me] 50lbs or so @ 26 Osage 64/66
with about the same dimensions as your's about 3/8 limb thickness but as adb said it all depends on the wood,I never measure thickness ,just let the tillering tell you what that will be. You can narrow the limbs some if you like but I usually do that in the last stages of the tillering.
   Pappy

[Marks]

Well I've never strung a bow before. There is a chance i just don't know what I'm doing. I'm getting at least 6" on the floor. I'll take some pics tonight. I need to get a real string. I didn't have anything else so I'm using paracord right now.  With a 66" bow how long of a string do I need. I know you can twist em to adjust length.  I really have no intention of making my own. I'll probly go to the local bow shop at lunch. I've done a bunch of research on how to make a bow but haven't even thought about strings.

[SLIMBOB]

Strings are super easy to twist up.  Way more cost effective to get you some B-50 or Fastflite and make your own.  I too bought my first one.  Now I can twist up a string while I watch Sponge Bob.  Patrick cracks me up.  Lots of tutorials on it.

[Pappy]

Usually about 3 inches shorter than the bow nock to nock ,but you really need a tiller string[no loop on one end] and you can tie a Boyer's knot for the first brace,it needs to be very low till you get the limbs working and tillered out some more. Man I wished you was close,much easier for me to show you than to tell you in print. I never go straight from floor tiller to brace unless it is a very light kids bow. I always long string tiller until I get enough limb movement and limbs even before bracing and then at a low brace to start.
   Pappy

[Marks]

Usually about 3 inches shorter than the bow nock to nock ,but you really need a tiller string[no loop on one end] and you can tie a Boyer's knot for the first brace,it needs to be very low till you get the limbs working and tillered out some more. Man I wished you was close,much easier for me to show you than to tell you in print. I never go straight from floor tiller to brace unless it is a very light kids bow. I always long string tiller until I get enough limb movement and limbs even before bracing and then at a low brace to start.
   Pappy

I wish I was closer too haha.

[Marks]

Looking at pictures it don't seem to need bracing yet but I still think my limbs are a little thin for bow little it is bending but maybe thats a good thing.
Bottom limb.
 
 

Top limb
 
 

Long string
 

[ionicmuffin]

Well, it looks like the fades right out of the handle and the first thirds of each limb are bending more than the outer two thirds. makes sense if you have them about the same thickness.

[osage outlaw]

You don't want to go to a brace height to early.  If you have any weak spots you can really damage the bow.  Get everything bending evenly and then shorten that string a little.  Check the bend, remove wood on any stiff spots to get it bending evenly again.  Keep shortening the string a little at a time and keep checking the tiller.  Eventually you will be at a low brace height and then a full brace height.  Once you are at a full brace height you can measure to see what length string you need.

[Pappy]

I would work on the outer 3rd of both limbs like was said being careful to stay off the last 6 or 8 inches,then pull it a little father and lets see what it looks like.Should be getting close for a low brace by then. If you don't have a tiller tree or board we will have to work with what you have.You really ought to try and make one if you plan on doing many bow,they are a big help.
   Pappy

[blackhawk]

I think ya just need to pull a lil harder and yank that thing back....lol ...just kidding...don't do that...seeing how as your still learning just continue on tillering from the belly and keep it simple and worry more about your "bend" than how stiff it is right now....it'll eventually come around if you take your time...don't start rushing and scraping like a mad man cus the last three times it didn't make a change....that's when ya screw up.

[Marks]

I dont have a tillering tree. I guess I need to make one. There isn't near as much bend as I originally thought. I'm certainly taking it slow. At this point I have so many hours in it I'm terrified to mess it up so I'm taking my time.

[ionicmuffin]

that's good, taking your time is how most of us have to do it. Besides, you can catch mistakes if you take it slow, if you don't there's a chance that you will slip up and wind up with a less decent bow. I think your doing fine for now, but like everybody said outer limbs aren't bending really. And yes,  a tillering tree is a massive help in my opinion, its nice to step back and see whats going on without looking in a mirror or something and trying to check it.