Author Topic: Tiller check please (Read 1540 times)

dogwood · « **on:** September 03, 2022, 04:47:53 pm »

I am beginner in bow making and this is my fifth bow. It is 75 inches long dogwood heattreated bow. I'm confused about the tiller of this bow. When I measured the distance between the limb and string I noticed that left limb is bending a bit more than the right limb, but when I pull bow on tillering tree it is looking like that right limb is bending more than left. What do you think about it?

dogwood · « **Reply #1 on:** September 03, 2022, 05:08:59 pm »

Sory, but I forgot to send images here they are:

bownarra · « **Reply #2 on:** September 04, 2022, 02:32:12 am »

Left limb is naturally deflexed from what I can tell. It is actually bending less and is stiffer.
It should be the lower limb.
Being dogwood for a 28" draw 68 inches is plenty. Dogwood is tough stuff.

Aksel · « **Reply #3 on:** September 04, 2022, 05:52:15 am »

Right limb looks good but you risk getting a hinge on left outer limb. Let it bend a bit more inner 1/2.

Where has it taken set and was it straight to begin with?

dogwood · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2022, 12:15:26 pm »

Thank you for the advices, I really appreciate it. Before tillering the stave had reflex in the whole right limb (about1/2 of inch) and the bottom limb was straight except the tip which was reflexed about 3/4 of inch. It took 2 and half inch of set at right limb, and about 3 and half inch of set at left limb. I have done a bit scraping on left limb and it pulls 45 lbs at 32inches of draw for now.

RyanY · « **Reply #5 on:** September 04, 2022, 04:27:49 pm »

The bow is canted in the tiller tree so it’s not an accurate representation of how it will look when pulled in hand. Left limb is weaker based on how it’s sitting in the tree. Usually I’d recommend getting more inner limb bend, but at that length you’ll probably want a hair more inner limb stiffness for less mass movement along the whole limb to avoid hand shock.

Aksel · « **Reply #6 on:** September 05, 2022, 05:10:28 am »

I´d make the left limb bend a little bit more, judging from the photos. Also, ask someone to take a photograph when you draw the bow, or watch your reflection in a mirror. I often find that gives a better idea of how the bow bends in the hand rather on the tree. Risk is if you leave the inner half too stiff is that it might take on even more set, or hinge when you start shooting it later..

dogwood · « **Reply #7 on:** September 05, 2022, 04:13:26 pm »

i think that inner limbs are bending less and the upper limb is a bit stiffer than bottom limb, so I should scrape that inner limbs. Is it right?

BowEd · « **Reply #8 on:** September 05, 2022, 05:07:37 pm »

Looks ok to me for as long of a bow as it is.Dogwood is a very elastic denser type wood around here.Only made 1 bow from that wood but use it a lot for arrow shafts.Hard to find a piece of dogwood around here that thick and long for a bow.How does it shoot?

dogwood · « **Reply #9 on:** September 06, 2022, 05:29:06 pm »

Well it is not very fast bow but it is pleasant to shoot due to it has low handshock. I think that it is mainly because it has a quite big crown and it is only one and half inch wide at the widest point and most important it has also took a lot of set, because I'm still not very good in tillering. But I like dogwood as a bow wood because it is easy to work with and it is durable wood.