Is it normal/ what do I do about it?

[stuckinthemud]

I tiller on a short long string hanging an inch or two from the belly.  I prefer bend thru handle D-bows and ELBs. I use a tillering stick.  Often everything will look good with gizmo and by eye, I like to take photos and measure the curve as well. Once all is looking good and bending well past brace height I’ll string it to a low brace of about 3” from handle to string.  Very often the limbs will be a long way out of balance with one bend much deeper than the other.  Is this normal?? What do I need to do to spot this? 

[Hamish]

 Sometimes it's just the stave doing what it wants. Other times it can be stressing the lower limb too much when stringing. Also removing a lot on one limb without properly flexing the limb enough, then all of a sudden when it's on the tiller it can show up as a weak limb.

It will be interesting to see what other guys do to combat or avoid this problem.

[lebhuntfish]

That is exactly why I quit using a long string to tiller. I work the stave while floor tillering and looking straight down the side of the limb until both limbs have an even bend. Then I go straight to brace, at least a brace that is comfortable for the amount of bend the bow has.
When the bow is braced, even a short  amount the pressure of the string forces the limbs together. The result is the limbs bend.
With a long string, even a very short one, you are just pulling down with slight inward pressure. So you are seeing a false positive; if you will.
Practice floor tillering an even bend and go to brace then tiller. Throw the long string away as soon as you can. You will be surprised at the results.
I teach everyone how to do that and very rarely check bend with long string.
Good luck and I hope this helps!

Patrick

[bassman211]

 I use a long string ,but go to brace as soon as I can for at least a couple of inches. Belly heat treat your weak limb to get some balance if you have one that is that way now. Then you can go  to tillering from there.

[sleek]

That is exactly why I quit using a long string to tiller. I work the stave while floor tillering and looking straight down the side of the limb until both limbs have an even bend. Then I go straight to brace, at least a brace that is comfortable for the amount of bend the bow has.
When the bow is braced, even a short  amount the pressure of the string forces the limbs together. The result is the limbs bend.
With a long string, even a very short one, you are just pulling down with slight inward pressure. So you are seeing a false positive; if you will.
Practice floor tillering an even bend and go to brace then tiller. Throw the long string away as soon as you can. You will be surprised at the results.
I teach everyone how to do that and very rarely check bend with long string.
Good luck and I hope this helps!

Patrick

I'm with Pat. Long strings are about useless. They don't load the bow up even close to how being strung does.

[Pat B]

Are you exercising the limbs after each wood removal. I do this even if the limb tips only move an inch or 2 but not beyond the bend you are at. You have to educate the wood to bend and recover evenly and together.
 I do use a long string until I get to low brace height. Once at low brace you can truly see if both limbs are in fact bending evenly and together.

[superdav95]

I still use a fairly tight long string with some builds.  I personally still see some value in them for some of the more challenging staves or wonky pieces of wood.  I find that on these pieces it helps to see the bend a little better without getting too far gone.  I’m not saying it isn’t possible to floor tiller a wonky stave just fine but not everyone has the same experience and or skill to floor tiller such wonky pieces of wood.  You can creep up on consistency in bend easier using long string on challenging staves.  I use the yard stick method when using the long string on a tiller stick.  I find that it’s easier to make big mistakes floor tiller especially as new bowyers.  It’s easy to over stressing one side over the other or not seeing a potential issue viewing the bend from an angle while floor tillering.  I use both methods just fine but all I’m saying here is for new builders with some character bows or just getting used to seeing bend the long string can be of value.  I would encourage them as time goes to gravitate to floor tiller to brace method when they are feeling ready or not too concerned about breaking bows and getting some experience on the limits of the wood.   I use both.  Just my thoughts on it.   

[Sandsquid]

Just my two cents.  I been making heavy weight ELBs.  I was having same problem you are having.  I tried what everyone else mentioned here.  Taking the bow to brace as soon as possible.  This is not an easy task with a bow intended to be over 100 lbs.  If I did manage to get it strung, I often ended up with limb twist or hinges.  Then I ended up having to remove more material than I wanted to correct the problems I had.  I started tillering with the long string to at least 26 inches.  Sometimes further if things did not look right to me.  There is now a lot less cursing while tillering. 

The other thing that took me some time to wrap my head around is that the limb tip moving the farthest distance is usually on the stiffer limb of a bendy handle bow.  The stiff limb pulls down more when you are tillering.  I would often remove material from the week limb and make things worse.  I would agree with everyone else that it is more obvious what limb is week when you brace the bow.  I just had no luck bracing early with the bows I am making.         

[superdav95]

Are you exercising the limbs after each wood removal. I do this even if the limb tips only move an inch or 2 but not beyond the bend you are at. You have to educate the wood to bend and recover evenly and together.
 I do use a long string until I get to low brace height. Once at low brace you can truly see if both limbs are in fact bending evenly and together.

Well said

[Jim Davis]

I agree with lebhuntfish. I've been making bows for almost  30 years and haven't used a long string for at least 25 years--floor tiller, then brace.

[Selfbowman]

I’ve done all the above .🤠 still get set.🤠🤠 my long string pulled to 20 inches on my vertical measurement gets me close to brace. On a fifty pound bow 67” long 8-10” handle I’m pulling about 20-30 pounds. If bending even I brace. If still bending even I finish the tiller. Usually pretty close at that point. But I’ve done it a lot of other ways.

[willie]

I’ve done all the above .🤠 still get set.🤠🤠 my long string pulled to 20 inches on my vertical measurement gets me close to brace. On a fifty pound bow 67” long 8-10” handle I’m pulling about 20-30 pounds. If bending even I brace. If still bending even I finish the tiller. Usually pretty close at that point. But I’ve done it a lot of other ways.

thanks for sharing your method, Arvin.  I assume you exercise quite a bit getting to the 20"?

BTW, you say pull to 20" "on your verticle measurement"
how many inches on your verticle measurement is the hook on the longstring before you make the pull?
ie how much droop do you start with?