Tiller check please

[twisted hickory]

Here is the bow I have posted about a couple of times. Lately it lifted some of the cambium on the back. I have since glued that spot down. This weekend it will get the cambium scraped off and rawhide with snake skins over that. This will be my main hunting bow this fall. I like how it shoots and points. It is a bit faster than the other 5 bows I have made. (Concentrated on smaller tips).
It is 64 lbs at 27 inches.
Thanks for the advice. I will be making more of this design as I like the handle shape it sets nice in my hand. I think it should bend a little more near the handle. I am intrested in hearing from those of you that have some experience under your belt.
Greg

[DarkSoul]

That's looking pretty good Tiller doesn't look bad at all. The upper inner limb (close to the handle fade) might be a tad stiff, but it's not much.
This bow does not require a rawhide backing, especially if you're going to remove the cambium. It is hickory (extremely tension strong), designed correctly, tillered correctly and one single growth ring on the back. There is no reason why this bow would need a backing, especially considering you've already shot this bow (without problems). The rawhide backing may shift the tiller a bit, but most importantly: it will make your bow slower, since it adds mass to the limbs (without much increase in performance).
The snakeskin is a good idea for camouflage, and adds very little mass so it hardly slows the bow down.
To increase the arrowspeed a bit, you might consider narrowing those tips down. I'm sure there is some excess mass in the tips. But if you like the way she shoots, you can just leave the tips as they are.

For future reference: in this topic you can find the front profile and more pics of the bow.

[Pat B]

I agree with DarkSoul. No rawhde bacing is needed for a clean hickory back. Narrowing the tips will help and hickory lends itself to belly tempering with will also add a bit of weight and speed...but if you are satisfied with the way it shoots I'd just narrow the tips and enjoy shooting it..

[Parnell]

If it were me, I'd get the bow working out of the fades more, especially with the top limb.  Like Pat just wrote, when working hickory, toast the belly really well, nearly black but without creating a char before you tiller.  I like to do it again when I get the bow braced.  I give it a long deep browning.  I just made a hickory bow that had scalloped edges on both sides of the back to create a trapezoidal cross section of sorts..."trapping the back" I'm becoming convinced is optimizing the design for hickory.  My 2 cents worth...
Looks good, though!  Be proud!

[twisted hickory]

Thanks guys!
The tiller is not as bad off as I thought. The bow is down to one ring without any violations. The tips are right at half inch wide. I do think they are a tad thick though. Well I will clean off the varnish and the cambium so it doesn't raise splinters and back with the rattler skin. Just checked the thickness the tips at string grooves are right at 7/16 of wood and the antler adds another 3/8.
The bow really is a sweet shooter. To think on November I was thinking of dropping 1200 on a Widow long bow This thing is not much slower and I made it myself
Thanks to all the contributors on this site. In a couple of weeks I will have two to show ya as I am playing with a 60 inch ladies bow.
Greg
P.s I got a good grade on my endocrine exam last night so my day is spent cleaning up the yard and playing with my bow
Keep the critiques coming as my next bow will be BL in the same style in a 50 lb weight.

[bushboy]

How much set has it taken?

[Pat B]

If you are satisfied with how she shoots I'd leave her along. You should be able to reduce the tip width to 3/8" to reduce the tip weight a bit. But it is not necessary.
  Congrats on passing your exam. 

[Parnell]

What program are you in?  That must have been a tough exam.

[twisted hickory]

Right now half inch of reflex. Before i finished tillering it had about 1.5 inches of back set Then I heat treated it 2x due to crooked limbs when strung. After It came off the jig it had 2.5 of reflex. All the staves out of this log seem to end up with about 2 to 2.5 in of back set. Not sure if the hickory is totally dry when tiller is started with the other bows. I am pretty sure this one was dry as it spent a month near the wood stove before I started tillering. On the next hickory bow I am going to get it to floor tiller then give it a good heat treat then finish tiller and heat treat at the end of tiller and see if that works. This bow was never drawn past it's intended weight while tiller or so far shooting.
Greg.

[twisted hickory]

What program are you in?  That must have been a tough exam.

Rn program I have 5 weeks to go. I am working and going to school. (part time thankfully) State board exam will be sometime in june.

[Parnell]

Good for you man!  Well, soon you'll have an envious work schedule and time for the hobby!

[twisted hickory]

Good for you man!  Well, soon you'll have an envious work schedule and time for the hobby!

most likely evenings/nights w weekend rotation. Not sure on working nites yet as I am not much of a night owl but the weekend rotation is good then I will have weekdays off to go play in the woods and not have to worry on other hunters/ fishermen. Will have 3 weeks vacation in another 2 years

[bow101]

That's looking pretty good Tiller doesn't look bad at all. The upper inner limb (close to the handle fade) might be a tad stiff, but it's not much.

X2............b101

[twisted hickory]

Intresting how a couple of you guys say its a tad stiff out of the upper fade. On my tiller tree the bottom limb is 3/8 stiffer and bends less out the fade. It must be how I hold the bow.
I am niticing the others I make are doing the same thing. I will try 1/2 inch stiffer on the next one.
Greg.

[bow101]

On my tiller tree the bottom limb is 3/8 stiffer and bends less out the fade.

Funny thing because this is one thing I learned on here, but had to do it the hard way.  Tiller is proper in the hand rather than on the tiller tree.  What I do now is go into the house and look in the mirror as I pull it......