Chokecherry Holmie-ish Bow - Good enough to finish?

[Cameroo]

I've been slowly chipping away at this bow for a couple months (take some wood off, let it dry... take some more off, let it dry some more...) and have it pretty much floor tillered, but have encountered an issue with the string tracking.  When I roughed this out, it looked like it was going to line up perfect, but after nature had it's way with it, naturally it warped a bit.  This is my first attempt at a stave bow, so I'm kind of learning as I go.

So I have 2 questions:

1. What's the best way to handle this? Should I try to just straighten it at the handle with steam or dry heat?  I realize I have a bunch of meat to take off in the handle area yet, and will remove some thickness before attempting to straighten it, if that in fact where I should do it.  I'm guessing my other option would be to bend the lever a bit (on the right side of the first pic)

2.  One of the levers took on a little extra reflex.  Should I try to straighten it out, or just leave it as is?

[PEARL DRUMS]

It really depends on how dry your wood is now. If it still a fair amount of moisture in it you will probably be better with steam. If you think its dry, then dry heat and a clamps would bring you in line. Its hard to say with knowing how dry it is.

[El Destructo]

Can you take a better picture of the Bow...like straight down from tip to tip...so We can see the way it twists better? I normally clamp anything that I am reducing ..especially if it is still damp..this keeps it from twisting like this did...if it is still damp...you can do just as well...if not better with dry Heat...than Steam...Steam dries the wood out quicker...and can cause cracks...as for the Lever...either straighten it...or kick the other to match...JMO

[Cameroo]

This is about the best I can do for a picture.  Sorry bout the crappy lighting and shadows.  This wood is pretty much dry at this point.  By looking at this, I'm thinking a bend in the handle might bring it in line, but then I might have to tweak the levers as well.

[Stiks-N-Strings]

Cam, if it's dry use dry heat.  Put a little kick in it and take it a little past where it needs to be and line her up. That stave looks real good from what I can see just needs some tweeking.

 Good luck. Stiks

[Cameroo]

I had my first crack at straightening tonight.  I decided to try steam, despite the wood being basically dry.  I figured it would be easier to get a deep penetrating heat over a larger area.  I let it boil for about 40 minutes.  I hope that was enough.  I figured I'd start with the easier bend, straightening one tip and taking a bit of reflex out at the same time to hopefully match the other tip.  We'll see how it turned out tomorrow once it dries out a bit.  Here's some pictures of my crude setup (I know my garage is a mess )

My steam rig


The crude jig that I used


And a couple of it clamped in

[cuthalion]

Hey Cameroo,

I chuckled when i saw this post because the last bow I made was a holmegaard that had almost the IDENTICAL problems. The string was way out of line and their was more reflex in one of the levers. I did use dry heat on my with lots of grease and works just as well as steaming. I think (with my experience) that with enough grease (crisco oil) it seems to dry out the stave less then steaming does. It also took me about 50 tries to get er straight (and even then its still a little off). Good luck!

[Cameroo]

Well, a year later and I almost have this one finished up   The tiller is far from perfect, but this is the first bow that I have attempted from a stave, and I'm happy with how it is turning out. Now that I look at the pictures, the lower limbs looks quite a bit stiffer than I thought it was.  Might have to remedy that... 

This was one of those bows that got a tillering session in between other projects, and then got put away for a few months until the urge to scrape on it returned.

 I'll post some more pics and details once she's all purdied-up, I just thought it would be appropriate to give the annual update   It's pulling just over 40lbs at 28" - that's about the most weight I could get out of it before taking a bunch of set.

[Cameroo]

This one's been a long time in the making, but I think I'm about ready to pretty her up and call it done.  I've put a few hundred arrows through it, and it seems to shoot ok, despite my tillering   I think the top limb pulls back about 3/4" farther than the lower limb, but this doesn't seem to cause any excessive hand shock.

I video taped myself shooting it from a few different angles (link below).  Sorry the background isn't the best to make out how the tiller is, but it was the best I could do at the time.

Do you guys think the tiller is good enough, or should I get the bottom limb bending a bit more?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GXUlYfLt1U

[bubby]

 nice bow, how much positive tiller do you have, 1/8" or so? if it was mine i'd try and catch up the tiller but i just don't like positive tiller much, i think i'm a little ocd, if it shoots good and your happy slap some finish on her, Bub

[criveraville]

Way to stick it out Cam. You look mighty happy shooting that bow. I sure like the way I'm shoots. Great design.

Cipriano

[Cameroo]

Hey Bub, I'm not sure where exactly positive tiller is measured from, I'm assuming on either side of the fades with the bow braced?  I haven't measured at brace, but from eyeballing it on the tiller tree, it looks like the lower limb is stiffer by 3/4 - 1" at full draw.  The more I look at it the less I like the brace profile.  I think I'll take your advice and take a few scrapes off the bottom limb.  If I lose a few pounds, maybe my sister will be able to draw it, and I can give her the bow I've been promising for almost 2 years 

And thanks Cipriano   It's no rocket launcher, but I'm cool with that!  There's always the next one right?

[criveraville]

Yes sir 

Cipriano

[Del the cat]

lookin' good to me, 90% there.
A bit of tweaking can make loads of difference.
Del

[dwardo]

If I was to listen to my OCD I would put it into an inch or two of reflex, heat treat the first 2/3rd more so than the levers. Then if possible extend the bend a little more into the fades right near the handle to get a little more limb working.
But then i have a real hard time just calling something finished