Author Topic: Thoughts on my second bow so far? (Elm pyramid) done tillering (Read 8272 times)

Ricardovanleeuwen · « **on:** February 17, 2020, 02:16:31 pm »

Here are a few pictures of my (lol)second bow, this time a elm pyramid bow. My first bow wich came out under weight failed after i Fell asleep wile streaming the tips and the cooking pot went dry resulting in one tip charred all the way through

Weylin · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2020, 02:31:29 pm »

I'm not exactly sure what stage you're at with it based on the pictures. if you've got it bending I'd consider rounding those edges over so you don't invite a splinter to pop up. If you do have it bending then showing a picture of the bow at full brace or pulled out to the distance you've taken it will help us judge the tiller. Don't crank it out past it's intended draw weight or past any obvious problems just for the benefit of a picture though.

Ricardovanleeuwen · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2020, 03:52:52 pm »

At the first photo its pulled at the long string and then i put a thin (red) rope between the tips and i think this is brace Heights. About rounding off the edges, do you mean the edges at the belly or at the back?

Pat B · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2020, 04:05:11 pm »

Round over all sharp edges.

Ricardovanleeuwen · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2020, 04:13:22 pm »

Thanks, i will do, wat you think about the bend at the moment? I can stick my fist between the handle and red line

SLIMBOB · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2020, 08:10:07 pm »

Right limb appears to be stiff outboard especially. Left limb is stiff near the fade (right limb as well just less so). Hard to tell much with it only braced, but you wanted an opinion, so that’s mine. The limb should bend evenly from fade to stiffened tip. Easy to check that with a 4 inch straight edge. Run it along the belly while braced. If one area has a gap, and another does not, the the area that does not is not bending enough. The gap needs to be the same all along the limb. Then it’s right.

Ricardovanleeuwen · « **Reply #6 on:** February 19, 2020, 09:05:27 am »

Finaly got the limbs evenly bending, reached that point halfway to my drawlenght. But one limb took about 2 inch of set and the other maybe 1. At the moment i am Heat Tresting the limb without most set with a weight on the other end of the bow to try to put it a bit in reflex again. After that il do the other limb and try to give it the same amount.

SLIMBOB · « **Reply #7 on:** February 19, 2020, 10:16:55 am »

The straight edge should be used before brace to get the limbs bending right. Once they are right at 2 inches, go to 3 or 4. Once right at 3 or 4, go to brace and get it right. Heat temper before all this so that you eliminate some of the damage. Once the set occurs, the limb will lose a little umph. Once it is right at brace, go an inch or 2 farther. By now, the limbs will be really close to right without any major weak areas wanting to give up under the strain (taking set). Dont pull past any of these points in time without the tiller being perfect. Do that all the way to full draw an inch or 2 at a time. Your bow will show you the love. Get both limbs equal with one another in my opinion, so far as side profile goes.

Ricardovanleeuwen · « **Reply #8 on:** February 19, 2020, 10:58:51 am »

I used a tillering Gizmo till i got it bending evenly, then i did even scrapes and also even amount of scrapes on Both limbs but quite a lot because i was sure alot of Wood needed to remove to reach draw lenght but after that it was bending almost only at one limb. I checked the thickness and with of Both limbs and the one that bends less was already thinner and same width. So i scraped more of and still almost no difference so i even took out my angle grinder and sanded off alot , then removed the marks with a scraped and hand sanded it off and it was finaly matched after a few more scrapes. Then i bendes the limb so the set was also the same ( not sure if that's right but seemed logic to me) now i wait till the first limb Cools down get the other one matched

SLIMBOB · « **Reply #9 on:** February 19, 2020, 12:04:06 pm »

That sounds right. Pics would help. The thinner limb should not normally be the stronger limb obviously. Sometimes it just ends up that way for various reasons. Should not be much difference between them if they are the same length and width.

Ricardovanleeuwen · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2020, 02:33:07 pm »

The limb came out better then i hoped before i starters ( wasnt really a believer in dry Heat bending) but i managed to get 4 or 4 1/2 inch of reflex first one, waiting for the second one to cool down now. I hope it doesn't get spring back when i measure Them again tomorrow.

Ricardovanleeuwen · « **Reply #11 on:** February 19, 2020, 04:27:01 pm »

Oké i took the bow out of the vice ( left door open while i took a walk with my dog so it cooler down fast) and the second limb has about 1 inch less reflex. Can i zand it down a bit and te Heat it or shall i wait to see what it do on the tiller tree because they maybe end up the same after tillering? By the way, the left limb was the one that took much set but also is reflexed more atm

SLIMBOB · « **Reply #12 on:** February 19, 2020, 04:50:06 pm »

4 inches of reflex is a lot. If you ended up with 3” on that limb, I would relax the other to Match (with heat gun). A caul or form of some kind makes matching them up easier. 2x4, 2x6 sanded you get the angle you want. If they are not symmetrical it is harder to get the tiller right.

Ricardovanleeuwen · « **Reply #13 on:** February 19, 2020, 05:32:08 pm »

I always readed that most working recurves always straighted up after time and the amount of set IT took before reflexing Them was to much for me to be happy with im planning to make a coul but im short of construction Wood. Also searching for A pipe, big enough in diameter and long enough to atleast fit half of a bow in so i can boil a limb to bend in the future

SLIMBOB · « **Reply #14 on:** February 19, 2020, 06:02:40 pm »

Working recurve would definitionally be recurved tips that work. I have never had one hold much reflex after a while. Reflex along the limb is a different animal. It will hold up (better). Suggestion would be don’t go for a recurve, working or otherwise on your second bow. Keep it simple. Get one with a fairly straight side profile finished and shooting. That’s a challenge in itself. Heat the limbs to get them symmetrical with one another. Add a bit of reflex if you wish but keep it modest. Once you ride a bike without running through the fence, then you can think about Motocross. Everything on these self bows is measured in small increments. Everything. Start with something fairly straight forward and begin adding things like recurves and reflex in those same small increments a little at a time. Everything you do on these bows has a positive and a negative. The secret is to maximize the positive and minimize the negative. Big moves may work, but they may also result in negative performance...or a broken bow.