Tillering woes :'(

[GraysonM]

 Hey Everyone,

A ways back I started building a board bow, and got to the tiller stage. I was having a hard time, so took a break, then one thing lead to another and the bow never got finished. Schools almost out for the summer, so I'm starting to work on it again, but I've hit a road block.

I've got it tillered to what looks pretty even, but it's hard to tell, I'll post a long string picture soon for reference, but the main trouble I've been having was getting it to a low brace. I tried that last summer, but revisiting the bow, I realized the bow needed to have some material taken off. So That's what I did, and it bends pretty good. I went to try a low brace tonight, but it was REAAALLLLYY hard.  When I was able to get the timber hitch over the nock, the knot just tightened while slipping, and the string just hit my handle riser. What gives? Do I need to take off more material? 

Also, I was looking online and just reading about boardbows in general and found this build along:
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=002064;p=1

Would those dimensions work okay with a handle shaped more like this?




Thanks guys!!!

[bubby]

that's 4est trekker's build-a-long and it's a good one, but a ?, give us some dimensions and some pics and we'll see if we can get you going. I usually dont mess with the handle till mostly finished, nice shape to it though, is it a pyramid or straight most of the way then taper to nock's, at the fades it looks pretty thick yet, also did ya make the string, if new it will stretch, and slide the loop over one end and then put the timber hitch on the other nock, and then the loop slides up the limb to the nock, hope some of this helps, Bub

[Pappy]

Have you had it on the long string ? and limbs working out 8/10 inches. If so are you pulling the
loose end of the timber hitch to the back of the bow,I loop through the knot twice and pull the
loose end to the back and usuall don't have any trouble,If the bow has a lot of reflex,sometimes I have to adjust the string length a few time till I get it short enough.
   Pappy

[dwardo]

I find it easier to tie a loop in one end which is then used to breace the bow whilst the timber hitch is already tightended and in place.
A bow line should do if its not a proper served string. Also make sure the string you are using is not stretching too much or it will be a nightmware to string.

If all else is well then i guess as you say there is just too much wood there.

[George Tsoukalas]

I long string tiller out to 10 inches of string travel (not limb tip travel) looking for good bending an target weight. Then I string it with a stringer. More on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/osage.html

[GraysonM]

Okay, I'll post some pics tonight after dinner, as for dimensions it's 70" nock to nock, center and the five inches on either side is 1.5 inches, and the limbs taper to 5/8 from there. thickness is about 7/8 right from the center, down to half an inch at the ends.

that's 4est trekker's build-a-long and it's a good one, but a ?, give us some dimensions and some pics and we'll see if we can get you going. I usually dont mess with the handle till mostly finished, nice shape to it though, is it a pyramid or straight most of the way then taper to nock's, at the fades it looks pretty thick yet, also did ya make the string, if new it will stretch, and slide the loop over one end and then put the timber hitch on the other nock, and then the loop slides up the limb to the nock, hope some of this helps, Bub

I'm not sure what the dimensions would be, prolly similiar to the build a long. The bow i'm working on is mostly straght with the taper starting at about 16'' from the end of the handle. Handle hasn't been shaped yet, just the riser is glued on with roughed out fades.

The string is new, it was made and sent to me by Denny, a forum member here (THANKS AGAIN DENNY!!!   ) but I wasn't ever able to use it last year. Life gets in the way...you know.  I'll try putting the knot on one end then using the loop slide up and brace. Now that you said that, I wasn't sure why I wasn't doing that in the first place....

Have you had it on the long string ? and limbs working out 8/10 inches. If so are you pulling the
loose end of the timber hitch to the back of the bow,I loop through the knot twice and pull the
loose end to the back and usuall don't have any trouble,If the bow has a lot of reflex,sometimes I have to adjust the string length a few time till I get it short enough.
   Pappy

I have had it on the long string, and it'll bend. I was looking at the limbs around 8-10, and was having a hardtime looking at how they bend. I think it's poor lighting. I'll post a picture tonight. I'm not totally sure whatcha mean buy pulling the loose end around to the back of the bow though could you explain it in "dummy" terms? 

I find it easier to tie a loop in one end which is then used to breace the bow whilst the timber hitch is already tightended and in place.
A bow line should do if its not a proper served string. Also make sure the string you are using is not stretching too much or it will be a nightmware to string.

If all else is well then i guess as you say there is just too much wood there.

I think that you're right about the timber hitch just staying there. Gonna try that tonight. I think that there's still too much wood though. I'm not super strong, but I'm no wimp. I can string a bow, and I work an a ranch and can toss hay bales around, so I'm thinking there's still too much material. It was reeeeaaallly hard to brace it (or try anyways).

I long string tiller out to 10 inches of string travel (not limb tip travel) looking for good bending an target weight. Then I string it with a stringer. More on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/osage.html

That what I started to do, but I guess I just wasn't done yet.  I'll give your site a read before I work any further.

In case it helps any, here's the thread I made from last summer, and a link to the pictures of the roughing out, and such. Might help you get an idea for the bow. Ignore the tiller pictures though, I wasn't aware of what I was doing and the bows a different beast now.

Original thread:
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,20325.msg280509.html#msg280509

Pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1509591780393.2069252.1252310129&l=5b7c87c593

[bubby]

grayson, build yourself a tillering gizzmo, it will help a bunch figuring out where to remove wood, Bub

[GraysonM]

grayson, build yourself a tillering gizzmo, it will help a bunch figuring out where to remove wood, Bub

Okay, ill build one after school. Also, here's a picture of where its at, this is with a long string at a litttle more then ten inches.

[bubby]

grayson, when useing the long string keep it as short as you can, almost taught, when you get around eight in. of tip moveing try and get a couple of inches of brace hieght, dont try to go to full brace all at once, but staying on a long string can be missleading, Bub

[GraysonM]

Okay, so I took some time off the bow for finals, and came back to it today, and I'm getting REEAAALLLLY frustrated. I keep taking wood off the obviously stiffer limb, and to no avail. I started with a few gentle passes, checking it every time, and not much would happen. I got a little bit more aggressive, being careful to not take too much off and overcompensate for the problem. That didnt work either. Now, I'm going at it, and its still not working!!! 

When it was finally to the point I could brace it an inch or so, I realized that it was even AT ALL. So I started taking wood off and looking at the brace. when it got to the point it was easy to brace, i went to brace it, and it was no-go. It was also still plain to see that the stiffer side was WAY stiffer.

Im really frustrated, and its getting difficult to keep the expletives to a minimum. What am I doing wrong?

[sailordad]

sometimes when tillering a wood bow
the wood wont register a change right away
but then all of a sudden its gonna register a change
and if your to aggressive with the removal of wood
the change that registers may be too much of a change

remember to excersize it between scraping sessions
what i do(not saying its the right way,but seems to work for me)
if i scrape each limb 25 times(or an individaul limb when playing catch up)
then i will exersize the bow on my tiller stick 50 times
then look at it as its pulled to x"
then find the area that needs attention
scrape it
excersize it
excersize it
excersize it
then look at it again

also when excersizing your bow as your tillering it
never and i mean never exceed the intended draw weight of the finished bow 
good luck