Tillering using belly ring feathering?

[cool_98_555]

Hello everyone,

Just wondering if any of you use the gradual feathering of the rings on the belly to help you tiller properly.  Seems pretty logical to use this so you don't leave one side thicker than the other and create twist, but ive never relied on this method of tillering very much.  How about you guys?

[Bryce]

Nope, each ring is different in its own way, whether it's bigger or smaller or grows unevenly.
Yes, a properly tillered bow with perfectly straight and even growing rings and grain will have a nice feathered belly. But it is no way to tiller a bow properly.

Tiller by the way the limbs bend and reacts to set; and you'll have a bow that will shoot properly and have a long life.

[Del the cat]

It can be a useful guide at the fades or on the slight swell in the middle of an ELB, and for leaving slight islands around dogy areas. But it's not reliable for actual tillering.
Del

[Eric Krewson]

This practice was preached as the bow layout gospel by one of the early information suppliers around 1990. I ruined several bows trying to achieve perfect feathering as it was suggested as the thing to do.

[Selfbowman]

If the rings are real even it does appear that way but not a proven method by any means. This tells me that you laid the bow out down the center of the grain more than tiller.. I lay the grain line out down the stave rough the Bow out from that . Then go to heat bench and get it straight as I can . By roughed out I mean 1 3/4 by 3/4 in thickness. Once I get it pretty straight I build the bow . Yes sometimes it appears just like you are talking about.sometimes the thickness changes in the width of the limb. Cause  one side is more dense than the other. The rings are thicker on one side is a dead giveaway. Arvin

[bradsmith2010]

I use the rings ,, but dont soley rely on them,, they can vary in thickness ,, but they are a nice indicator that you are on the right track,, especially on a roller coaster deflex in the limb,, it would really just depend on the wood,,

[BowEd]

The main rule to remember is keeping the thickness even on both edges.Marking your centerline on the crown following the longitudal grain usually can make it feather right down the center.Like said it usually works out that way feathering down the center but I don't always rely on it.

[George Tsoukalas]

No, not really. Jawge

[Badger]

 If the rings are even I use it, one time the rings were 1/4" difference in thickness just across the width of the bow.

[cool_98_555]

Really?  So you're telling me that the sides of the limbs don't necessarily have to be the same thickness?  I have heard that was a rule.

[Badger]

  Yes the sides do have to be the same thickness, thats why feathering does not always work. It is nice when it does work but needs to be checked, equal thickness of the sides is very important. I was just saying how I have gotten thrown off by not paying attention and just feathering the rings.

[Springbuck]

This is one of those things that is great when it happens, but not consistently good enough to be a goal in and of itself.  It sometimes helps, and I keep my eye on it, but rings do vary in thickness all along both length and width of a stave, especially on small diameter trees.   It's one more thing to guide you, but not an actual map.