Tillering for low set

[Stick Bender]

I really like your exsplanation Ed , thats pretty much what I did on my last bow & ended up with minimal set by far I spent most of the tiller time working the bow to brace & concentrated on dead smooth tapers Once there like that it was just a matter of adjusting weight & fades , I like to sweat the bow for 3-4 hrs along the way just because I like to let the wood show its true colors before moving on I dont have a good eye for tiller like some so that way helps me have a system to get me to good tiller. To each his own but it works for me.

[DC]

I thought that this was a pretty generic question and I didn't think pictures would help, especially this early in the game. There is really nothing a picture would show. I'm not looking for instructions on how to do low set tillering. What I want to know is when I am tillering and I discover some set what do I do? Do I scrape that area more or less? It's sounding like I should treat the area that is taking set like a hinge and avoid it.
Ed- you gave a very good explanation of how you tiller but you never mentioned what to do about the spots that have taken set.

I'm sorry to everyone for this dragging on maybe I picked the wrong title. I think Upstate and Bubby are right but they didn't sound all that sure and I just need a few moew answers.

[wizardgoat]

Don, if you discover an area taking set, don't remove anymore wood from that area.
It's over stressed and you need to get other areas working

[DC]

Thanks Goat. I don't know why this has been such a stumbling block. I guess I missed something early on.

[Philipp A]

Hi DC, do you have a moisture meter to check staves before you start working them? I have invested in one and while I quarter my logs when they are green and do some initial shaping as well while the wood is green, I don't start working / tillering them until the moisture has dropped to below 10%. I have found, that since I am using the moisture meter, I have much less of an issue with set on the bows I am making. That in combination with the fact, that I have also become much more patient in tillering (I take a long time and scrape very little at a time) is helping me a great deal to avoid set.

[DC]

I have a hot(warm) box that I keep my staves in for at least a month before I work them. It is a constant 50% RH and I weigh the staves regularly. I don't trust meters, I think they just measure surface moisture.

[BowEd]

No shame in having these homogenous material bows throw you a curve.They do it to all of us.Might need a bit more info and background as to how you come to the results that you did without you realizing they are important though.Did you balance the profile of limbs prior to any bending?If so did you heat any area into a balance?Could be you did'nt heat it hot enough to hold.This is assuming your taper is nice and even on both limbs too.If not you removed too much at that area that's showing you taking set.Then like said leave it alone.If by the fade.Remove wood above it and outward then to relieve the stress.Balance the other limb to bend the same.Whatever you do to one limb because of a strained area you'll need to do to the other to match the strength.I'm just spit ball quessing here because of no info or pics.Others are too.
There are those who take the viewpoint to take set out with heat.That has worked but to me not the best option.
After reading here I actually gave you instructions on my way of getting the mass right for a bow because it has start somewhere to get to low set tillering and along the way with your bow something is'nt right in your viewpoint.

[bubby]

I thought that this was a pretty generic question and I didn't think pictures would help, especially this early in the game. There is really nothing a picture would show. I'm not looking for instructions on how to do low set tillering. What I want to know is when I am tillering and I discover some set what do I do? Do I scrape that area more or less? It's sounding like I should treat the area that is taking set like a hinge and avoid it.
Ed- you gave a very good explanation of how you tiller but you never mentioned what to do about the spots that have taken set.

I'm sorry to everyone for this dragging on maybe I picked the wrong title. I think Upstate and Bubby are right but they didn't sound all that sure and I just need a few moew answers.

Maybe it's a language thing ey 😆

[bradsmith2010]

dont take wood off if it is showing set there,,,  remove wood from other parts of the limbs keeping tiller as even as possible,,

[bow101]

Don, if you discover an area taking set, don't remove anymore wood from that area.
It's over stressed and you need to get other areas working

Yep thats when a hinge develops. 

[DC]

Actually this is one of the most straight forward ones I've worked on. 1 1/4" natural reflex and pipe straight from the front profile. I screwed up somehow. It's just a minor thing, I still have some reflex so it will still be a good bow. I was just shooting for low set and wanted to nip this in the bud. And then I found myself standing there with the pruners not knowing where to nip It's all good now. I will get at it as soon as the shop warms up. Thanks all.

[willie]

Glad you are on your way, DC.

Good floor tillering is an art in my book and takes time to learn properly.

I missed this often repeated bit of advice when I started building bows, and learned how important it is the hard way.

Ed,  can we see a pic of your  "poundage graduation tester"?

[scp]

IMHO the best way to do no set tillering is not bending it until we are almost done tillering. If we make several same bows from sister staves or from one big board, we can just finish one as best as we can, and copy its dimensions for all others. After that most tillering will be done on the sides of limbs. I guess that's what they do at the factories. Not sure this is worth the trouble unless you are going for some kind of record.

[Badger]

  If you are using a well established bow wood and have a good idea of the dimensions it needs to make a bow your battle is 1/2 over. You also have to be sure it is dry enough. I don't pay too much attention to monitoring the wood unless I am building a design or weight I am less familiar with and am not certain of dimensions I should be using.

[BowEd]

DC....Glad things are ok.I always hope for the best on all my bows too.In the end wood is wood.Like George says set happens.Good luck.
willie....It's just a digital poundage tester from 3 Rivers.Nothing elite or anything.Anybody can get one.I call it a graduation tester because it'll show me the most minute change in weight at the same draw.It has to be pulled to the exact same spot.I don't really think it's totally necessary to have to make a nice bow but it does make the job easier.The good old eye ball is the most critical thing out there yet.Starting from a bathroom scale to a fish scale to this.They do have a price tag if I remember of around 50.00 or so though.