Exercising limbs

[Badger]

David, you might want to take a look at the tiller you are using with a particular design as well. A tiller can look perfect but not be right for the front view on a bow sometimes. As discussed in other threads though, a little bit of set is not such a bad thing, sometimes you can get through the tillering of the bow without much just to pick it up later when you shoot the bow in. Better to keep excersiing it and break it in as you build it. Steve

[Far East Archer]

                                                                 Ya mean humidity drops below 40 %! Well learn somethin' every day ! ...bob

hehehe I know what you mean bob, doesnt get any better than 60 % here and thats a really dry day for us. Usually its like 80+. I dont know why, but I usually dont get anymore set than those in much drier climates. I used that site to calculate the emc and it was 15.6%...thats bad right?  lol even my hickory bows stay in around 1-1.5" of set.

Might need a hotbox just to see what its like.....

Alex

[George Tsoukalas]

Greg, there's little estimation for me when determining if a stave is ready for the short string. I long string tiller out to 10 inches all the while checking weight. When the stave shows target weight or 5# over and the limbs are bending well then I string the stave for the first time. When I exercise the stave after wood removal I do t at partial draw just to stress the wood a bit. Jawge

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

is this 10 inches total limb travel, or just simply string travel. i.e. like putting on a tight stringand pulling it a total of ten inches, or just how far the tips move. i have been kinda fuzzy on when exatcly to move to a short string.

Phil

[radius]

I put the short string on as soon as I can, because in the past i've tillered bows out using the long string only to find them sadly underweight.  Adb uses this definition of a long string:  just long enough to be taut when attached to the nocks, without bending the bow or hanging loose.  I started to do this, and found that my bows are more consistent to what i want them to be, after that.  Once you can draw a bow to desired weight at, say, 15" of draw using adb's long string, then string it to a very low brace height (say, 2 inches).  Keep on tillering and drawing the bow, increasing brace height in 1" increments as often as you can without damaging the stave.  This takes a little practice.  By doing it this way, you'll be at full brace height of 7" or so before you know it, and your bow will pull the weight that you require.  Best to tiller in a few pounds over desired weight, so you can round over the edges and do final sand without coming in underweight.

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

ok i understand. what ive been doing is tillering down till the limb tips get to a distance marked out on my tree. this mark is at a 7" brace height (from the back). then going on as you stated. thanks

Phil

[yellow feather]

Dano or whoever.
If the humidity is 55% and you have had the wood in a hot box(hickory) over night, how long would your estimate be as to how long would the mc stay low enough to work on the tiller? David

[Dano]

Just over night won't dry it enough, I would wait a few days, but after that you can work the stave for a session put it back in the box and so on, till it's ready for finish.

[El Destructo]

Just over night won't dry it enough, I would wait a few days, but after that you can work the stave for a session put it back in the box and so on, till it's ready for finish.

Sounds like a Lot of wok....just send it to Me ....here in the Texas Panhandle....the Humidity stays around 6-10 percent....and I will make good use of your Stave........ Without the Hotbox !!!

[loco cacahuate]

Destructo
Yellow feather is my brother and he started on this bow about 5 months ago.
I keep tellin him he's afraid to finish it    It is his first unbacked stave bow and he's pretty close to getting it to weight.
I told him he needs an alarm that goes off when the humidity drops below 40% so he can work on it.

[El Destructo]

Thats funny!!  I was really leery on My first Stave Bow too....I was all Fine with a Board...but that first Piece of Natural Wood with all of it waves and dips...and other flaws...just overwhelmed Me for the first one...but once you get the first one under Your Belt....it's all Fun again!!!