Bendy handle "D" bow tiller advice

[silent sniper]

Hey guys, I need some advice on this bendy handle D bow. This is my first non-rigid handle bow and I honestly just do not know if it looks right or not. I have a feeling the tips are too stiff and the handle may be bending more then it should?? I dont know.

I had glued 4" of reflex into it and right now it is still holding a decent amount of reflex (1-2"). It is lined backed quad hickory laminate, 60" NTN and is pulling north of 60# at around 27" with my end goal to be around 28" draw. Brace height is at 5" at the moment. I am holding the bow with the bottom of my wrist at the center line. Let me know what you think. Thanks, SS

Front profile, 1.25" wide for most of the way than tapering slightly the last 8-10" to the tips


unbraced showing the reflex


braced


drawn to roughly 27"


same photo rotated

[tattoo dave]

Looks pretty darn good so far. I think your instincts are on the money. Get the tips bending a little more, maybe bending a hair too much in the handle but not a problem at this point. Keep up the good work.

Tattoo Dave

[dylanholderman]

Looks pretty darn good so far. I think your instincts are on the money. Get the tips bending a little more, maybe bending a hair too much in the handle but not a problem at this point. Keep up the good work.

Tattoo Dave

+1 

Another tip to help you out with tillering in general, snap a picture and then hold something round up to it tosee the bend. I mostly use my cellphone so a quarter or maybe a little bigger is a good size for it.

[Josh B]

By your unbraced pic, it appears that the majority of your reflex is in the center section of the bow.  If that's the case then you definitely need to get the outer limbs working (bending) more to relieve the center section and make for a smoother shooting bow.  I suspect it has quite a bit of hand shock with the present tiller.  You should be able to get those outer limbs working without losing much draw weight.  With the reflex in the center, your tiller should be elliptical in appearance and not quite circular.  Josh

[BowEd]

Yes + 1 what Josh said.Possibly just narrowing the top view profile on the outer third of the limbs could do it all for ya.That might take the bow out of the overall cultural design you want though.

[silent sniper]

Thanks for the advice guys! I will see if I can tweak it and get it tillered correctly! Thanks again, SS

[steve b.]

I agree with tatoo Dave regarding your instincts.  If you are a low-time bowyer I think you'll be good in the near future.   I would keep the brace close to where you are at, depending on string centering, hand shock, etc.  Maybe 5 1/2".  I'm impressed.

[Springbuck]

"It is lined backed quad hickory laminate,"   I don't know what this means, or at least I'm not totally clear... is it LINEN backed?  And then it's four hickory laminations? 

Anyway, I also agree that it is bending just SLIGHTLY too much though the handle, because that's where all the reflex is. However, if it has only taken that much set there and keeps returning to reflex when un-braced, it can't be terribly overstrained, right?

Get that last inch of draw from either side of 12" in from the tips, maybe?