positive tiller... How to?

[Bryce]

In vol. 1 of the bowyers bible. John strunks chapter 'The Yew Longbow'
He explains how to accurately measure positive tiller@brace. Via diagram.

[mikekeswick]

I'm always saying this but again I will say that drawing the profile of the bow onto something BEFORE ever bending it will tell you all this stuff.
Forget tillering trees for the last few inches of draw - they almost always put different strain on the limbs than drawing by hand.
So to check if the amount of positive tiller is correct.
1 - Check the set precisely against your profile on your piece of paper/whatever (I use the wall).
2 - Make any corrections you think are necessary. Get the tiller where you want it to be.
3 - Draw the bow 20 -30 times. More is better when fine tuning.
4 - Unstring it hen immediately check the bow against your profile.
5 - The set will tell you if everything is as it should be. No guessing! Set is the cold, hard truth with no subjectiveness.
There isn't a 'fits all' numerical answer to your question but the set WILL tell you the answer. 

[Pappy]

1/8 to 1/4 on most of mine @ brace, some say it don't matter and I guess it really don't but I have found over the years if the brace tiller is close the rest will generally follow suite, if it is ugly and uneven the bow will usually be also, not always with a tricky/knotty or snaky stave but most of the time on a fairly clean normal one. JMO.
   Pappy

[Badger]

It good to keep them close as you go, trying to pick up just a 1/4" on some bows will cost a lot of weight. I have been caught off guard more than once like this. Other times it may not drop much poundage. I have been working on this hickory bow the last few days and it keeps going back to negative when I shoot some arrows through it. I think I finally have it now but it has dropped about 10#. Which in this case is ok anyway.

[arachnid]

First of all, thank you all for answering.

I'll ask it another way- what will happen if I tiller the bow evenly? The bottom limb is stressed more, but then what?
Does the trouble of getting into positive tiller (and a chance to screw up the tiller) realy worth it?
As I recall, most if the bows published here appere to have an even tiller.

[bushboy]

It's about where. The fulcrum is being your hand places more stress on the bottom limb and over time it will surcome to set throwing off the tiller and shortening the bow life.imho.

[missilemaster]

 The big reason you want to have positive tiller is so the bow will stay balanced in the hand throughout the draw. You cannot do that properly if you tiller the whole thing on the tree. Once you get it within 5 " or so of your full draw, draw it back and feel if it rocks in your hand. you will know if one limb is bending too far without even looking.

[George Tsoukalas]

Slightly is a lttle less than too much. Jawge

[Pat B]

...but a little more than not enough, George! 
 I usually tiller my bows even on the tree but leave the bottom limb slightly(there it is again) stiffer during the last few inches of tiller. I go by tip movement at full draw.

[arachnid]

I go by tip movement at full draw.

Pat, can you explain that?

[Pat B]

If both limbs are bending evenly and together the lower limb tip should come down just slightly less than the upper tip. I eyeball this.
The back drop of my tiller tree is concrete block so that's the grid I use.

[arachnid]

Well, that sounds simple enough (the simplest method I've heard about thus far)... hope I don't mess it up. Thanks Pat.

[bradsmith2010]

it is not all about the way it looks, it has to shoot,,, on l longer bows it does not seem to have as much effect, but if the tiller is off on a short bow,, it will be harder to get good arrow flight,,

[arachnid]

I've been shooting a 66" white oak backed ipe flatbow for the past 6 months, that turned out to have a positive tiller and it shoots pretty good for all I can tell.

[arachnid]

If I set the arrow rest so the arrow is in the center of the bow, then basicly when I draw the bow (even with split finger)
I draw it in the center of the sting, there for, eliminating the need for positive tiller.

Correct?