Getting into the "tillering mindset"...

[toomanyknots]

A lot of times, lately especially, I find myself trying to rush through a bow. And I think that is a very bad thing to do. During the tillering process especially. For me, I find the things going on in my life, all the drama and crap that just sticks with me, gets in the way of me and my concentration on what I am doing when I am trying to make a bow anymore. For other people, probably most other people, this is probably not an issue. But for me, I find I have to get myself into a certain mindset to really make a bow anymore. For me what works is reminding myself I am making a weapon, not a toy or something pretty to look at, but a weapon designed from the beginning with taking life in mind, and it is a serious thing. I know it's kinda silly, , but this really zaps me into bow making mode, and blocks out all other crap going on in my mind at the time so I can concentrate on what I am doing. Anybody else gotta get into bow making / tillering mode, or am I just a lone weirdo?

P.S, yes I probably got adhd,   .

[PEARL DRUMS]

I have to get into a certain "mindset" myself knots....

[IdahoMatt]

I have been haveing the same problem lately.  It seems that I just have the end product in my head instead of all the steps,especially tillering.  Things have been clouding my mind.  I will try the trick of telling myself this is a weapon slow down its not a race. I used to be a luthier (builder of stringed insterments)and time was money.  So working wood quikly was essential.  But I am not selling anything.  I'll try that, it's nice to know that I'm not alone

[George Tsoukalas]

I agree. I have to walk away sometimes especially now that I am older. I used to be able to knock them off in a a day or 2 or 3. No longer as I age. Jawge

[Del the cat]

I go out to my garage to get away from it all, or 'cos I really want to work on the bows... If I'm not in the "mindset" (I hate that expression... you just gotta do the waggly finger thing when you say it... it's redolent of management speak and BS like "pragmatic" and "paradigm" dunno anyone who has the faitest idea what a "paradigm" is anyhow... maye it's a Dime on a parachute? but I digress)
If I'm not in the mood, I have a clean down and tidy up instead... then I find I'm pickin' up a stave anyhow .
Can't keep off 'em for long.
Del

[BOWMAN53]

making a bow is my stress reliever not my stresser so im always in tillering mode. when im stressed out i either work on a bow or think about working on a bow. the end product is always on the forefront of my mind when tillering, even before im done tillering i already know what it will look like. 

[osage outlaw]

When I was on night shift I would often have to stay up all day after work instead of going to sleep.  I learned that I can't tiller bows very well after I have been awake for 24 hours straight.  Other than that I'm good to go.

[toomanyknots]

I guess my life has just been a bit stressful lately. I am thinking maybe I need to chill out for a bit.

[Don]

There are times where I just leave them set.
If I try to work on one and I'm having life's problems, I WILL screw it up.
So I just walk away for a while but I always come back to it.

[Joec123able]

When I'm working on a bow, my mind is blank nothing else that was stressful or made me angry even exists in my mind as I'm making a bow

[okie64]

To me tillering is the most stressful part of building a bow but it is also the most rewarding part if I get it right. If my head aint on straight I clean up around the shop or work on some arrows or something. The last few bows Ive built I have changed my tillering process and seems to work out much better for me.

[twisted hickory]

The part of the brain that has to do with tillering is the creative side of the brain. This is the side which is also closely tied to the emotional side of the brain. If the emotional side of the brain is under stress/fatigue it won't work as well (cant recall all the specific names it's been a few semesters since that chapter..LOL.)
The same is true for me. I gotta be in a decent mood with out lots of distractions. After a stressful day of work it's better to not try and tiller a bow. I just go out and shoot a little and usually my shooting stinks, the opposite is true when i am in a good frame of mind.
Greg

[toomanyknots]

  Thanks for the input guys.

[dwardo]

Nice to hear I am not alone.
I think the trick is to have multiple bits of timber at different stages.

Splitting and rouging out when you need to just smack something. Heat treating when you have not the energy to swing a tool. Cutting nocks when you have the concentration but not the muscles.

I fall in and out with all of the bows I make as they progress or fail. Just got to keep going and learning.

[SLIMBOB]

Yep.  Same here.  Busted hump to get 2 bows finished for the trade.  Very motivated.  Since finishing both and a few others earlier in the year to boot, I've started a few others along with a dozen arrows.   Tinkered here and there, but just haven't hit it very hard.  The "mindset" should return with some cooler weather.