How to make a tillering stick?

[Primitive1]

I used to use only a tillering tree until I gave up trying to shave out flat spots over my head and watching the bow rock back and forth...talk about making me wince.  It was either that or scribbling with a pencil on the flat spots, taking if off, making sure it was seated correctly putting back on the tree...repeat, repeat, repeat...  Therefore, I made a tillering stick and use it to get the initial 'rough spots' out prior to tree mounting...I put a thick folded up rag in my bench vice, put the handle of the bow in and put decent pressure on it, then I use the stick over the handle and pull up with a long string.  I cheat in that the stick is kind of held in place with some machinist wire coming from a ammo-box storage compartment that is on the wall over my vice...and it kind of suspends itself over the handle before pressure is applied.  This way the bow is secured, I can rasp, plane or scrape away with decent pressure and get the limbs bending evenly...my shoulders are most thankful.  Cheers, P1.

[tom sawyer]

Can you get a pic of your setup?

[George Tsoukalas]

This thread is just bringing up too  many memories  from my early days. Memories of broken sticks, flying wood and seeing stars. Please so take the proper safety precautions. Jawge

[Primitive1]

Tom S., are you a mind reader?  I just bought some 400 speed film for my 35mm.  My plan is to shoot my work area and post in the near future.  Getting ready for some camping and fly-fishing this weekend so it will be a couple of weeks but that is the plan.  What's also nice is that my 'hot box' is actually part of my work bench, it resides under it for additional space savings.  BTW, George is so right in his worry over injury, though I've been lucky, I've had the sense to make additional parts/pieces to ensure safety; which is why I use the vice/tillering stick method now for rough wood removal.  I've only had one near miss in my history (been lucky); last year where my string slipped off a nock on a sinew backed, 60"/60# osage, pyramid style flatbow and the tip came whistling by my face...puts sweat on the head and the pearls quickly back into the oyster if you get my meaning...not a good feeling and left me thanking God for his love.  Cheers, P1.

[Finn_the_archer]

Thank you for your advices - here's the result:

http://primitivabagar.se/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/images/PA160001b.JPG

Since I'm confined to use hand tools, it's not a beuty. But I hope it will work well

[tom sawyer]

Looks very sturdy, which is a primary concern.  Nice job.

[Finn_the_archer]

Thanks, it's a piece of ash, 4" x 1.6" and 40" long. Just needs a coat of varnish. I'll try make a tillering tree as well, but first I need to find a decent block

[George Tsoukalas]

There's no smiley face of a Jawge biting his tongue. Let's see. Jawge

[Pappy]

That looks great,it should work fine.
   Pappy

[charlie636]

I'm new to the site and new to bow building also. Here's a pic of my Tillering Stick. I used hardwood pegs 3/8" rather than cut notches. The notch in the top is to secure the Bow. The first peg is set at 6" There is a standard for AMO and it says that: it's 1 3/4" from the deepest part of the handle. So as you look at this, the first peg 6" is 6" from the top of the stick, and not the notch.

Later I varnished the whole thing so it would not warp. This stick is free standing so I can move it into the patio when the weather is nice, or anywhere there is good light. The credit for this design goes to Sam Harper. His site "How to build Bow and stuff" really inspired me to try it also. His building Alongs will help anyone interested in Bow Building.

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[Joe M]

I think it looks good and should work fine.  I made mine out of 1x oak and use the notch system.  I had thought about doing what you've done with yours, but in the end settled for what I have now.

Good luck and welcome to PA!

[Kviljo]

My trusty 10-minute tiller

[Eric Krewson]

I built a tillering stick type arrangement into my tillering tree, just a bunch of holes and a movable peg. I floor tiller, use the long string with the movable peg as well as the short string and the movable peg to about 20" of draw. I don't have any string follow issues in my bows because I don't leave the string on the peg for more than a few seconds.

[stiknstring]

Hey Eric my tiller tree looks exactly like that.