Another OS question Tiller check please

[Don Case]

In the pictures the center of the bow is on the center of the tillering post.

[Don Case]

Here's something else I just noticed. The bow has quite a snake in the top limb. When I brace it the limb twists. Is this my tillering or is it because of the snake? The first picture is unbraced and back up, the second is braced and belly up.

[steve b.]

Its the snake.  I've had bows like that, and shot them, but now I don't like that much deviation from the string.

Assuming that the last 10" of the limb in foreground  is not too thin, you could narrow (need to anyway) it, and heat correct it to the right, in the first pic,  and then heat correct the handle to bring the string back in alignment with the limbs and handle.  This will line up the string with the limb and the handle.  Do the other limb likewise.

The issue with the 4" handle stands, whether the bow is on the center of the tree or not. 

[Don Case]

OK Just an update. I steamed most of the snake out and the twist problem is solved to my satisfaction. Two results though. First, when I clamped it to hold it's shape after steaming I flattened the limb taking some of the reflex out. I never noticed and after doing a little work on the fades I re-strung it and one limb bent way more than the other. Thinking it was the fades work that was the problem I started scraping away at the strong limb. After about 50 scrapes I stood back for minute and realized that by taking some of the reflex out I had weakened that limb so all the scraping on the other just dropped my weight. Fortunately I had some to spare.
Second, we had a cold dry front move in and the RH dropped to 28% on the day I did the steaming. When it was cooling and drying it got a couple of checks. One at the end which will be trimmed when I put tips on it(if I get that far) and one around a knot mid limb. I don't think it will be a problem. I filled it with CA. I'm wondering about the checks. I've read that steaming dries wood so why would it check after steaming. I want to re-steam that section to put the reflex back in but I'm concerned that it will check more. Sorry for being so long winded, I got it from my mother.
Don

PS It occurred to me that the checks may have been caused by the pressure of straightening it

[steve b.]

Don that cold front got me too.  I had a brand new, really nice OS stave check on me even after splitting it in half.  Normally in the summer I would lay my new debarked OS staves in a sleeping bag so they wouldn't dry so fast, for the first week or so.  I neglected this and it got me.

This is a good learning project and its the best way to learn.  It shows that there's a lot more to consistently making bows than some people think.  I find it best to read the books on it, read the websites, then make a few bows, then read again.  You just can't get what you need to be good from reading alone. 
So if you screw something up on a stave or bow then don't just give up on it, use it to practice other techniques on, ie. handle wraps, stain, heat bending, heat treating, etc.

The checking is somewhat normal and usually insignificant but if the check runs off the side it might need to be dealt with.  Otherwise, CA and move on.

The reflex on your stave is relatively insignificant.  If, during the tillering or steaming, it disappeared, I would just treat it as though it never existed.  Don't try to get it back.
Especially since your dealing with other problems on this one.

When you steam you need to let the bow dry out for at least a few days before working it again.

Pics would help on your tillering issue.

[Don Case]

When you steam you need to let the bow dry out for at least a few days before working it again.

Pics would help on your tillering issue.

OK It's drying now. I put a little reflex back in it because I was steaming it to work on the curves a little more. I did that before reading your post. Now I just have to fight my impatience for a couple of days. I'll post more pictures when I get back to it. It's a pain only having one stave dried but I pushed the envelope a little on this one as an experiment. Now it's snowing so I can't even go get more.
Thanks

[steve b.]

Yea, if you are going to reflex and bend laterally you should do it at the same time just because doing one, and then later doing the other, causes the first to return to some degree to its original state.  That's assuming you are reheating the same area.

[Don Case]

It died. Pulled a big splinter on the back. I'm pretty sure this was due to me fiddle farting around too much. I've learned to get it into the shape I want it(reflex, deflex and curvy bits) before I get into tillering. Especially reflex. It seems that if you are close(ish) on tiller and add a little reflex to one limb it makes a big difference to the balance of the limbs. Then you have to scape a bunch to get the balance back. That and the RH of the cold front maybe dried it out to much. Mostly it was me steaming it too many times. It was fun but now I have to weigh and reweigh the next stave to see if it's dry enough. Thanks SteveB for all the help. Appreciated it.
Don

[Don Case]

It's alive! I wrapped the splinter with linen thread and CA and so far it's holding. Cork handle and Ipe tips.  It ain't much of a bow, 25-30# at 24" but it'll do for learning to shoot and I'll give it to my granddaughter if she wants it. Here's some pictures. The first is after sitting for an hour or so and the last is immediately after un bracing. The pictures are a little dark, sorry.

[Don Case]

The left(top) limb is bending much more than the right. Is that caused by the right limb having reflex and the left having a little deflex. I didn't take anymore off because it was already too light. I'll apply what I learned here to the next one. It's still losing weight.