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Author Topic: inducing reflex after tiller  (Read 4661 times)

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Offline Lee Lobbestael

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inducing reflex after tiller
« on: October 09, 2014, 10:48:02 pm »
Hey guys,
I just finished tillering a red maple bow. It was dry and I heat treated it after tillering it to low brace height. I finshed the tiller and it took probably two and a half inches of set. Is it worth trying to put on a caul and put some reflex into it or will it all just come back out?
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mikekeswick

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2014, 01:59:44 am »
Once wood has been bent and is used to compression the absolute worst thing you can do is make it feel tension. You could heat treat it but don't induce any reflex. Note if the poundage has increased after - if it has then reduce the width until you are back at the original weight. This will result in a more efficient bow even if it still has the set it could be a very good target shooter.
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Offline bubbles

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2014, 02:33:59 am »
What about waiting couple days/weeks for it to creep back to close to a straight profile, and then heat treat?  Obviously you can't shoot it during this period. 
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Offline Lee Lobbestael

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2014, 06:19:27 am »
I will try to heat treat it again. This maple doesn't seem to take to heat treating like hickory and elm
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blackhawk

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2014, 08:47:22 am »
If u do heat it up again make sure to clamp it down..otherwise it'll be prone to moving on you...and prob in the wrong direction...I.e..more string follow
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Offline bubby

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2014, 11:26:52 am »
X2 what blackhawk said, are you sure it's fully cured excess moisture can cause your problem, might try clamping it to a straight board or one with a little reflex and get it somewhere dry for a while checked the other day in my truck with the window's cracked it read 116 deg something like that will makes sure its dry
« Last Edit: October 10, 2014, 11:30:07 am by bubby »
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Offline wizardgoat

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2014, 12:06:15 pm »
Ive done it twice. 1st was an osage bow I dont think was fully seasoned.
mostly tillered out but took so much set I threw it in the corner.
I recently made a caul and put it on and cooked it. It had about 2"of string follow, and I cooked in about 2" of reflex. After re tillering and shooting it in it lost all its reflex and ended up about half an inch of string follow.
still an improvement.
2nd was a yew bow and had similar results. You'll lose most of what you heat in, but for me anyways still ended up with a better bow.
im just about to pull an oak bow from the corner of shame and do the same thing but it has about 3" of string follow. Was too wet when I started bending it
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2014, 01:59:25 pm »
I have induced reflex with heat on worn out, poorly tillered, bows with lots of string follow that friends had, always with good results. Don't believe the nay-sayers as they are probably just guessing and don't have any actual experience in the area they are offering advice about. I have probably "experimented" on a half dozen bows in this regard.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2014, 02:03:27 pm »
Ive also done it a time or four. Some outcomes better than others.
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2014, 05:29:47 pm »
Done it also.  I wont hesitate putting reflex into an underperformer to see if I can improve upon it.  Varied results as far as improvements, but I don't think one ever came out worse.
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mikekeswick

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2014, 02:10:13 am »
Better to design the bow properly first than to think you can tiller a bow end up with set and then magically make it a good bow by heat treating.
If i'm a nay sayer i'm one that has done a lot of experimenting with heat treating. I never give advice unless I have done what i'm talking about.
The reason I said wood that has been compressed doesn't like being reflexed is that i've had some failures when trying to reflex outer limbs that have already been drawn. I can show you pictures  ;)
I've also had bows with set not fail when heat treated but now it's a risk I won't take.
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Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: inducing reflex after tiller
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2014, 11:06:46 am »
if you feel like the bow is so bad,, that you dont have anything to loose,, its worth the try,, like anything with bow building,,, nothing is for sure,,, I have heated some bows into reflex and then applied sinew with good results,, but I was gentle,,,more is the enemy of success when it comes to that,, sometimes if it is a stiff handle a bit of reflex in the non working part of the bow can compensate for some string follow,, that being said, I have some bows that follow the string, and shoot well for their draw weight,, the mass is low and they are as efficient ,, as some bows that dont follow the string,,  string follow does not tell the whole story,, it is just a guideline,,
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