Osage Bendy Handle Tiller Check

[dirthas]

(Sorry in advance that this port turned into a novel!)

I'm working on a bendy handle osage shorty that I hope to shoot in at the classic next week.

51" ntn, aiming for 48# or so at 27". Heated to about 2.5" reflex. Right now it's braced about an half inch low and pulling 45# at 19". It's getting down to it and, of course, playing tricks on my eyes.

Here it is unbraced and braced. You can see in the unbraced pic that the limb on the left has taken more set than the limb on the right, and the reflex looks uneven here. I think this is part of what makes its brace profile look so awful, which is also accentuated by my crooked fence.



It seems like I could remove wood on the outer portion of the right limb to match the profile, but I also feel like with the different amounts of reflex, the limbs are currently bending the same amount.

Here it is from various perspectives on the tillering tree. Problem limb on the right:



And here it is being held at about 19" in the hand. Problem limb on the top:



This is also my first bendy handle and it seems like if I slightly move where the bow hand holds the handle, it drastically changes the profile. I can shift my bow arm's hand down a few mm when holding it in a reflection and it makes the tiller look awesome.

I stopped tillering at this point today because I wanted to slow down and think about it. Right now my plan is to scrape the stiff spot in the upper limb (right limb on the tillering tree) until it matches the profile of the lower limb. Then slowly take it down to weight with sandpaper from there.

What would you guys do? There may be a cold one in it for your help if you're at the classic next week 

[Pat B]

The outer half of the upper bow looks stiff, the right limb on the tree. The handle area looks good for now but once you get the limb bending a little you couls bring the bend back into the handle on both limbs.

[Hamish]

Certainly a deceptively tricky stave. Its doing some weird stuff,  but doesn't look too bad in the last 2 pictures. In the last picture it looks like you are gripping the bow a bit high, but this could be an optical illusion due to a slight cant?
Despite the right outer limb looking stiff, when braced and when drawn, the set on the unstrung bow looks like it is bending plenty.

How even was your intial heat induced reflex? Was it done Indian style without a form?

[NonBacked]

Asking a 51 in. piece of wood to bend 27 in. is a tall order (even for Osage). If you do it, watch the tip-to-string angle closely as you pull the bow on the tree – the string might pull off. A 25 in. draw would be safer, and you’ll get less set. You are getting close on the tiller. The difference in reflex at this point is negligible. Just get a good arc from tip to tip while supporting the bow where you want to grip it. Good luck at the Classic.
H

[dirthas]

Pat B - Sounds like a winner to me

Hamish - I think it's due to cant. I have a very specific spot I hold it. My ring and middle finger split the centerline, which would put an arrow shooting straight past a knot where the shelf will go. The initial reflex looked great, but the stubborn limb lost a lot of its reflex during floor tillering and I had to give it another go. I used a form, see below.





NonBacked - It is a tall order and I'll probably start getting nervous when it gets to 24" or so on the tree. I've gotten a 48" half-sapwood stiff-handled Osage to 43# at 28", but that eventually developed frets in the fades.

The for the help guys, will hopefully post some bullseye shots in about a week!