Approaching the tiller near the Fades

[Badger]

   Steve, some of us have that artist eye for tiller and some don't. I have never had a real accurate eye so I have found other ways to compensate. Going slow is the most important tool. Taking measurements and mainly just make sure your limbs are smoothly transitioning without dips.

[BowEd]

Carl....I usually in my own shop do like Badger and Springbuck & like George as he mentioned getting it to bend more as it goes to the tip with eliptical tillers most times.Can do it just making a fat 3/8" tapered line along the edge too but getting it to the short string will take longer that way but with same result.Getting both limbs to bend evenly matched wise as soon as possible.I like to leave it very slightly higher in the center of the limb length wise or slightly crowned and then remove material chasing my draw weight.If need be you can draw a line right down the center of the limb length wise to affirm this.With most woods I like a flat belly on a AFB.Then remove material overall evenly slowly with a rasp rasping away pencil marks/scraping away file marks/and I like using 6" block of 2" by 4" with an appropriate grit on it for the density of the wood stroking it the whole length of limb.This completely eliminates any dips or waves.You can feel it with your finger tips also easily.Not a real critical thing at first with no extreme bending and with a wood like osage but with other not so tolerant woods it is important to stay away from stressing any portion of the working limb.The fades need to be the thickest and widest area of your working limb letting it slowly get thinner as it goes outward avoiding hinges this way.
That's why doing as many different types of woods helps with your patience and tillering skills.Then moving on to try more difficult designs.Key word as always is to do all of this slowly.If you feel pressed for time slow down!!!

[Springbuck]

Badger:  "I never let the desired draw weight dictate what the bow will finish at."    This is a really good point.  Experience helps me look at this or that stave and say, "I can get a low 40's flatbow out of this" and I use the TBB width guidelines and go wider if I can on whitewoods, etc.

But, sometimes I'm wrong.  Sometime you have to shorten the stave.  Sometimes the wood just feels weaker than it should be, sometimes the knot is worse than you thought.  If I'm taking any set noticeable set by brace height or a tad higher, I "manage my expectations" down a bit.  If I'm taking none by 22" on the tree, I start to make a longer stiff tip, or narrow the limbs a bit depending on design.

[Bob Barnes]

you pose an interesting question about how to work the fades... I hope that more tillering gurus chime in on how they do this.
 

[Badger]

   The fades are really an important area. When I talk about limb timing I am not talking about the timing of the two limbs. I am talking about how the limb unfolds. I feel the biggest cause of handshock is too much bend in and just outside the fades. If the fade and inner limb is bending too much the entire limb will slam home all at one time creating a shock wave. If the limb kind of unfold as you release the arrow with the inner limb hitting home first and the outer limb hitting home last you won't feel any shock.

   At the same time we often need that wood to bend so we can make full draw without taking too much set. This is where proper design comes in, just make the bow wide enough where you can afford to tiller it properly.

[Bob Barnes]

I think this deserves a bump- all I have been doing to work the fades is sitting a 1x1x18" piece of wood inside the strap that holds my bow when tillering.  The stick sits on the back of the bow grip/fade inner limb area.  When I pull the string you can easily see the amount of movement in the fades.  It's kind of amazing just how much it moves sometimes...

[BowEd]

The old timers called it too round in the handle type tillering will produce hand shock.Which means exactly what Steve and Bob are talking about.

[Yellarwoodfellar]

Springbuck this is the same approach I use. I feel this allows for The ease of stiff tips and you can transition in to the major work area without dealing with an incline both ways so the whole limb scrapes pull smoothly everytime. It just feels natural to me