Brace height, this sounds crazy but

[Tradslinger]

I still can't get my pics to take. something about an insecure site.   So, my bendy bow is mostly tillered but there is something that bothers me. The upper limb at rest while strung, has a greater brace height as it shows more bend then. but when drawn, the upper appears more stiff than the lower. there is a certain amount of deception because of the character of the bow itself as it is not flat at all and has some deflex in the upper limb at the handle area. I had tried to correct this with heat but it did not take. so by the nature of the deflection in the first part of the upper limb, it already looks weak but is not. if I try to take out the stiffness of the upper limb according to the tiller, this will make the brace height of the upper limb even greater. should I do this anyway? the bow is not flat anywhere, kind of resembles some of the country roads around here LOL

[Dances with squirrels]

This would be no different for me to tiller than any other bow. It may look a little different afterwards, but the process is the same, and it will be balanced just the same. Pull it from where the string hand will be, and adjust limb strength if the hook drifts left or right. I could care less what the brace height is afterwards. Balanced is balanced.

[Pat B]

The only place proper (looking) tiller matters is at full draw.

[bownarra]

The only place proper (looking) tiller matters is at full draw.


I think the lad is asking what 'proper tiller' looks like

[Dances with squirrels]

He's asking a question that can't be responsibly answered the way he wants.

There's isn't a 'proper tiller'... at least not one that can be prescribed in advance and used as a beacon to effectively guide us on our way to a dynamically balanced bow. Most of the time predetermined tiller measurements don't create balanced bows when they have limbs identical in shape, let alone a bow with noticeably different shaped limbs. Tiller measurements should be an afterthought, a result of our efforts to balance and harmonize bow limbs... just a result.

[RyanY]

If it’s mostly tillered pull on it with an arrow or even put a few through it short drawing to where it’s tillered to. You’ll find out pretty quick how it feels and if it’s balanced by how it feels in your hand and how the arrow flys.

[PatM]

A bow can be perfectly balanced and have terrible tiller though.

[Selfbowman]

That’s why to wait on character bows till you feel comfortable at tillering. If it’s all the dry wood you have I know your pain. We all had that problem in the beginning. The tiller gizmo will help as mush as anything. Those humpy bumpy bows are a pain. One more reason to use good wood . Just saying. And no sorry wood does not make a better bowyer. A good bowyer is better at picking better wood to make a better bow.  Arvin

[Dances with squirrels]

Yes Pat, I agree. But the converse isn't true... a bow isn't perfectly tillered if it's terribly unbalanced/untimed.

I'll pass on the Gizmo for character bows, thanks.

If one learns to properly tiller(including dynamic balance) good character bows early on, not the doggy, fragile, novelty ones, it can help him learn to make all of his bows better. Making selfbows with only the straightest staves limits choices, experience, knowledge, and skills... and it gets kind of boring. Better bowyers do both well.

[PatM]

I've never been bored by the cleanest and straightest wood possible and it opens up  more  choices and skills, not less.

[Deerhunter21]

I would have to agree with pat (and i know im not super experienced). but i feel like character stave is tricky because its hard to tiller but its also difficult because it will restrict you to specific skills that you need to use to get a bow out of it, but skills that you might not be so great at without practice.

a straight stave might not make you use certain techniques and skills but it gives you more freedom to choose what you want to do and be creative with it.

[Dances with squirrels]

And yet here we are... on a tiller thread where one limb is shaped noticeably different than the other, and he needs better bowyers with more skills to tell him specifically how to tiller it. Don't nitpick me or or my tag line to avoid his direct question, answer the guy. You have the floor.

[PatM]

We'd have to see pics and video.

[Deerhunter21]

sorry. I wasn't trying to nitpick. just wanted to add my two cents to the conversation.

[Selfbowman]

Yes Pat, I agree. But the converse isn't true... a bow isn't perfectly tillered if it's terribly unbalanced/untimed.

I'll pass on the Gizmo for character bows, thanks.

If one learns to properly tiller(including dynamic balance) good character bows early on, not the doggy, fragile, novelty ones, it can help him learn to make all of his bows better. Making selfbows with only the straightest staves limits choices, experience, knowledge, and skills... and it gets kind of boring. Better bowyers do both well.

I can do both. There fore I know what makes a better bow . Speed and distance does not lie. Facts tell the truth . That simple . They won’t shoot as fast or have great cast if the limbs are not even and come to rest evenly. I have not seen a character bow yet that can compete. I ask you to show me one if not three that can compete. Built by the same guy. Or anybody. Mark Bagget has a humpy limbed bow that I built. It’s a good bow but not as good as it could have been if it was straight. I respect the tiller capabilities of the character bow makers . But that’s where it ends. Arvin