Tillering uneven reflex

[Hawkdancer]

Glad to hear you just have a bruise, could have been much worse!  I use a stringer or a stringing board - and try to keep all my body parts out of the line of fire if something gives.  I likely would not hear any warning ticks
Hawkdancer

[bassman]

I don't know how many Bl bows you have made, but if their is one wood that will test your tillering  skills.  Bl is it. Heat treat the belly,and trap the back with a good piece of wood, and you can get their. I failed with the first 4 Bl staves I got from one bad tree. The backs either broke, or the belly had frets. I made the 2nd four bows from good Bl. I trapped the back, and heat treated the belly. Then tillered with a Gizmo. I still have 3 of those 4 bows. 2 are sinew backed, and very good shootersand one good self bow. I gave the other one to my son.

[Kidder]

Thanks for the encouragement and words of wisdom. It was 1.75 inches wide to mid limb so I think it was designed correctly. I just think the rings were too thin and the ratio favored early wood too much. I had already heat treated it - amazing how it basically turned it into a leaf spring. The first string was on the step through method. I immediately unstrung it because of how unbalanced the limbs were - the lower limb which broke was much stiffer. I took wood off and restrung it with the step through method. I had my leg probably on the fade when it exploded. I think I should just get a stringer and not worry about it. I was examining it last night and was still impressed with how nice of a profile and how good of a job bending recurves and evening reflex I had done. So not all is lost!