Tiller advise and help with Osage bow

[SLIMBOB]

Yeah I agree. I use a tiller stick on all mine, but only to 15-16 inches or so. I'm freakish about keeping one drawn for more than just a second or two at that length. I switch to the tiller tree NOW. But up until a few years ago, I just took a pic or two and went from there. I think I do a decent job of keeping unnecessary set to a minimum. That's surely one of the reasons.

[Dictionary]

Tiller stick out to about 75 percent of whatever weight you are at is how I do it. If the bow is drawing my target weight out to 28 inches, I'll put it on the stick up to like 21 inches, use a straight edge, and make adjustments. I find if it is drawing 21 inches good(75%), it'll be drawing even at full draw. A mirror can be used for assurance. The tree is superior, but not everyone has the place for one. This works for me when I don't over tiller the bows in the handle like I typically do

My .02

[Griffin027]

I hear ya on the tillering stick, I didn't think about it until I started noticing the set. I made sure to have my camera ready when I took these pics. I will get a pulley setup ASAP. Plus I don't like the stick much cause when you draw its not in alignment, if that makes sense. I'll get more pics of brace, unbrace too. How long after steaming should I wait to tiller?

[TimBo]

At this point, I would set your camera to self timer, put it on a tripod or something sturdy, and get a picture of you drawing it by hand.  You can put a loop of velcro tape or something on the arrow so you can feel when it is at the right draw length.  For the last few inches of draw, the pressure and position of your hands on the bow and string can make a big difference in tiller shape.

As far as wait time, heating wood dries it out, and you need to let it re-hydrate.  I usually wait 24 hours, or overnight at least.  White woods might need longer, but that should be fine with osage.

[SLIMBOB]

I think you will get different answers to that question.  Flipping the tips a bit that are static, a day or two is probably a good idea.  The wood actually looses moisture when steamed, so letting it re-hydrate a bit cant hurt.  That has always seemed counter intuitive to me, but I believe it to be true based on my experience.

[Griffin027]

Ok, so I got it tillered to 28". It looks pretty close to me but I couldn't get a pic. Maybe I can have my wife take a picture for me. Here is an unbrace pic after it was unstrung.

So tomorrow I will have a heat gun, I will heat treat the entire belly and then flip the last 5" of each limb.

[Griffin027]

Pic of profile from belly side

[SLIMBOB]

Take it a bit past flat when you bend it to toast the belly.  Maybe an inch or so not counting the flipped tips, so that when you are done, the limb will set at that inch plus the tips (2-3 inches or so??) for a total of 3-4 inches.  It will lose some but retain a bit as well.  Hopefully you will end up net, net with several inches of reflex.  My advice is be conservative, I just usually ain't myself.

[Griffin027]

Thanks Slimbob, I will do that. Should I just put the handle in the vice belly up and as I'm toasting pull down on tip gently to get my 1" set back?

[SLIMBOB]

You can, but you run the risk of the limbs being wonky and not symmetrical with one another. Better I think to take a 2x6 or a board of that width, saw it to the shape you want. Clamp it down and heat. You can go one limb at a time and just flip it around for the second limb. This way they (each limb) will be pretty!  I have done them as you described. You will thank me for goading you into buying the heat gun. I won't be without one.

[Griffin027]

Haha! Well luckily my birthday was the 15th (opening day of archery) and my sister asked what I wanted. Heat gun! So tomorrow I will make that form. On the tips I'm thinking better to make a working tip rather than static? If static that would leave less working limb in my mind. Does this sound good?

[SLIMBOB]

Hard to make a working tip that won't lose its bend and return to straighish after a while. For me any way. I have pulled it off but only by just having them flex a little and not uncurling. I would keep the last bit stiff were it me, but you can certainly give it a go. Stiff handle, 28 inch draw, 60 inches. Your on the short side for sure. It's doable though. Even with stiff tips. I have a 58" bow, 27" draw, stiff handle and static tips. Took some set but nothing too bad.

[Griffin027]

Well, I got the static recurve in and they both cracked across the limb about halfway through the thickness. I rasped below and glued a piece of hedge as a patch. I'll post pics today, still need to adjust alignment. Also got the limbs tempered.

[Griffin027]

Do you think these patches will be ok? I used titebond III.

[bubby]

Does the crack go all the way to the nock?