osage bow build

[coyote1956]

You guys are the best!  ok buttering up...    i have this piece of osage im workin on and so far dont think i have messed it up, have been patiently scraping ohh about 8 hours so far, afraid to use draw knife anymore it hogs wood too fast and pulls up splinters.  the wood is 1-1/2" wide semi snakey one bend in end of top limb.it dips n curves here too,   thickness about 5/8 or so down from handle at widest part trying to scrape limbs evenly to get it down in poundage, like about 45#  .  here some picts please any and all advise and suggestins most helpful. 
I think i need to gently taper limb thickness toward tips until nice tiller and weight is hit?
 this is only my # 2 self bow build first was with help from Mike McGuire at TBOF.  He heklped my son most ofone day build his but i didnt get so much time with Mike that day, was working the Bear archery vendor booth. 
 it is 70" tip to tip i did cut it from 75" to start off it was a bow blank from Mike, well sesoned osage have had about 4 years in blank stage . got all kinds of books and Gary Davis dvd but hands on is in the real.. dont want to mess it up so i do a lil bit then leave it be read look at picts and think on it some.   pictures here so far  any help much appreciated, thanks, Ken

[jstason]

you should be able to get it a little shorter than 70" if you want depending on what your draw length is, just my 2 cents

Jack

[mullet]

Ken, I think you will get more imput here.

[Pappy]

Looking pretty good so far,looks a little stiff right limb about mid 1/3,slow and easy them humps will trick you easily. Be sure to look at both sides and you move down in draw length. Sometime looks different from the other view.
 Pappy

[SLIMBOB]

It looks to me that you can put a string on it and low brace it now-4 inches or so.  You can then look at any asymmetry between the strength of the 2 limbs.  Just eyeballing it should tell if one limb is stronger than the other.  Take the stronger limb, run a straight edge along the belly from fade to tip.  Mark the flat spots as "scrape here", and mark the "over-bending" spots as "don't touch".  Now just start slowly taking wood off the areas you marked until the 2 limbs are close in strength.  Again, just eyeballing it will get you very close at this point.  The limb you just worked, if done correctly, should have an even bend on it once you get it equal in weight to the other limb.  Exercise the bow several times during this process.  Now check the tiller on the other limb with the straight edge as you did on the other.  Get an even gap with the straight edge.  Exercise the bow several times during the process.  When this limb is bending evenly, check the symmetry again.  Slowly take wood off any flat spots from the now stronger limb.  Exercise.  Once they are even and bending smoothly, check your weight.  This is assuming your front profile is finished.  For me it would be at this point.  Be sure and round off the corners (edge along the back) before you start bending the bow much.  I don't know how heavy it is, so don't pull it too far when exercising.  Just enough to move them a few inches or so if it's heavy.  Don't pull it too far until the limbs are balanced.

[coyote1956]

front profile?   you mean back of bow single ring?  and slimbob you say round off edges on back of bow , i was told by another only round edges on belly so havent rounded edges on back yet, please confirm this. 
 thank you for all critique help and input.   a couple more pictures since more scaping has been done now  trying to get about 45 # bow it is 68" nock to nock   thanks all , Ken   

[SLIMBOB]

Front profile meaning you have established the final width of the bow and wont be making it any more narrow in any spot.
Yes round the edges of the back.  Sharp edges on the back, when they are stretched under tension are apt to pop a splinter or just out right break in to.  Rounding them spreads that stress over a larger area and will eliminate the issue.  Well, certainly minimize it greatly.  Just take the sharp edge off it from tip to tip, both sides.  I would do that now.
Do you know what the weight is on it?
Time to string it if I was working on it.
Looking pretty good.  Getting a string on it will tell you a bunch at this point.

[bubby]

You want to round all the edges,

[coyote1956]

thanks guys, all edges will be rounded asap before anything further, and profile of back yes i got it set pretty much !   was thinking may have to slim up limb tips some to get them bending last 6" or so of the limb to nock?  tapering them toward tips.... more, ?   then will get string on it and see where i am at thanks, Ken

[DarkSoul]

You're going for 45 pounds, okay. So what weight are you at now? It is important to monitor it from the start.
Your tiller is looking lovely! Please string her ASAP. Full brace height.
And do round all corners to the size of a pea.

[SLIMBOB]

At that length, I would leave the last 5-6 inches stiff.  Narrow them yes, but leave them stiff and non-bending.  Either will work.

[coyote1956]

ok ill leave last 6" of limbs stiff then ,,,,and see im getting close and so much scraping work dont want to blow it now !    i dont have a scale   cept this thing you attach to string and draw not sure how accurate it is.... the tiller looks very even to me by eye i will string and check measurements and follow all you guys much more experiance advise thank you all.  need to get me a string, workin on trade for one now...  will post and report then , Ken

[SLIMBOB]

Don't worry so much about weighing it.  I never did for years, just got it at a comfortable weight and went with it.  when I got a scale and checked them, they were all a little heavier than what I had guessed, a few lbs, not much.  As long as you like the weight no prob.  Weighing them just gives you a target to aim for in tillering one.  I weigh them all now, but you can get away without it.