Tillering out inner limbs or outer limbs first

[Nasr]

 I would like to get peoples thought on how they go about tillering there bows. Do you start with outer limb and work your way out or do you start trying to get the tips moving first. Personally I have been recently trying to get the outer limbs moving first then working in because I’ve noticed that I leave my outer 1/3 stiff. Which would be ok I guess if you want that but I also have been trying to make short bows and because I am not as talented as people here I need all the working limb I can get.

[Nasr]

Oh I know that tillering outer limbs first doesn’t mean that the end result will mean the bow will not be stiff at the outer 1/3 of the bow it’s just me fixating on an issue I know I have. You can start with inner limb and still round out the tips.

[bjrogg]

I like to start tips and outers. Get them bending slightly. They will still be very heavy but bending.

Then I work my way in but I keep coming back to the tips and outers as I go. As you get the other areas bending the ones you started with will have less stress and become stiff again if you don’t keep coming back to them.

Bjrogg

[Selfbowman]

Thanks Brian I missed that in your build. Arvin

[bjrogg]

The inners are usually already bending just because they are under the most stress. If I get the tips moving and work my way in. It seems like I can get a nice bend started and still be very heavy. That way I can perfect my tiller as I reduce lbs.

Bjrogg

[Pat B]

I usually leave the inner limb for last. With the leverage of the limbs the inner limbs can bend too much if that area is done too early.

[Selfbowman]

I like this thread!man I don’t know ! Ive tried all those ways just cause.  Brian you just keep it coming cause I want to know the best sequins. This forum has helped me more than I could have ever imagined . Just the simple instructions explaining your theory. Keeping it simple for the light minded.🧐Arvin

[PatM]

I try to get it all bending from the beginning.

[Selfbowman]

Ive done that too Pat. The problem I have is documented results. As usual I don’t like the paper work and my memory is lacking! I’ve always learned from the pictures. Oh well. Arvin

[bjrogg]

I try to get it all bending from the beginning.

I really do to Pat. I guess what I’m really trying to describe is how I proceed from roughed out close to dimensions stave. To starting to develop my taper from tips to inners. I usually do keep the area out of the fades just a little stiff until I get to the last few inches of draw.

Bjrogg

[Nasr]

I try to get the whole limb bending as well it just rarely works out that way for me. I usually end up with the mid to inner limb moving first. So I guess my thought process is which is a better way to proceed when that doesn’t work out. I didn’t think that people started at the tips inward I thought the norm was to get inner limbs moving first guess I was wrong.

[Yooper Bowyer]

I used to leave the inners for last because I know that set there is worse than at the tips.  This sometimes meant that the fades where actually inches longer than intended.  Then I found that my bows where developing frets in the mid-outers.  Now I make sure the inners pull their own weight.

I generally don't go from one end to the other. I usually rough out the whole thing and then work on evening out high and low spots.  I feel that if one part is moving before the rest it stands to much chance of being over strained

To be honest though, I have built relatively few bows.

[RyanY]

I think that the initial bend depends a lot on starting thickness taper. If you start with an even thickness along the whole limb, it’ll almost always have too much bend near the handle. After building a lot of bows, you start to find out what thickness taper is close to the type of bend you want. Hard part is gaining that experience if you haven’t built many bows as people don’t usually post the limb thickness of their bows.  After I made a few dozen, I measured the thickness of the ones I liked, they usually ended up close to the same thickness regardless of wood species.

[Nasr]

I’ve started making bows 10 years ago and every time I feel like I have a system of how to approach a bow it just doesn’t work out for too long. Like I have said just wanted to get some ideas from people more experienced then me. I feel like I am never satisfied with how I build them anyway so no matter what I most likely will find an issue with what I am doing now soon.

[George Tsoukalas]

I try to get it all bending together but I mark a nice dark pencil line at the end of the fades to make sure the wood starts  bending there. Jawge