Who on here makes their bottom limb shorter?

[toomanyknots]

I have always made my handle directly in the center of the bow, and tiller the bow to have a stiffer bottom limb to balance the bow, so that the bow will shoot straight. But lately I am getting tired tillering the bow with a stiff bottom limb, and than a year later, my bottom limb is weak from being stressed more than the top. I was wondering what all you guys on here, who obviously have much more experience and expertise than me, do regarding handle and arrow pass placement. I've never really understood this in general that well, as well as never really wrapped my head around the fact why the bottom limb is more stressed at all? 

[Del the cat]

I must admit I'm a bit ambivalent about the whole lower limb stiff thing. It's not so critical on ELBs.
With the arrow pass 1" above centre my bows end up with a shorter lower limb. (grip approx 4", so ball of the thumb is supporting the bow about centre)
I tend to just make sure I tiller the bow supported (loosely, not clamped) and drawn as it will be in the hand and just get it looking even, (with maybe the lower limb a tad stiffer if there is any asymmetry).
Pulling it like that on the tiller, it starts off canted over towards the upper limb (because the draw is bound to be above the hand position) and it pulls back straighter as it is drawn.
You can see what I mean in the video in this blog entry, it starts with the bow tilted down on the right (top limb).
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/it-lives.html
I've only had one bow really shift on me (Ash primitive), but I make sure I give my bows plenty of exercise these days.
My last ELB ended up getting turned round, as supporting it dead centre and pulling it 1" above centre looked very different to how it looked with it turned round (effectively a 2" difference in where the string is pulled made a visible difference to the tiller).
Have a look at the pics here on my blog.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/caramel-and-cream.html
I invited comments in that entry, but got none!
Del
(Sorry this post is so long , but it's a good topic)

[Bryce]

Yep, 2 inches shorter for me.

[bubby]

i'm like pinecone, find the center and 2" both ways, Bub

[steve b.]

I think this is one of those issues where experience doesn't matter.  A guy might make 1000 bows and never care about the small difference in arrow speed or hand shock or whatever in his bows that could be improved if he wanted to experiment with the stresses and geometry.  It seems to me that, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter.
Having said that, I make my upper limb longer, proportionally so depending on the length of the bow.

To me, its about how far the limbs tip move relative to each other, from brace to full draw,  and so it makes "sense" to me to pull the string from a point as close as possible to the center point between the tips.

[Will H]

I've done it both ways alot. I like the way an asymmetrical bow balances in your hand but equal limbs are sometimes a bit easier to tiller... When I make my bottom limb shorter its usually by an inch and a half.

[Zion]

I almost always make my bottom limb at least an inch shorter than my top, and tiller the top to bend more. It feels to me like an assymetrical bow is more balanced

[Gordon]

I generally make the bottom limb shorter so the bow balances better in the hand when being carried.

[paulsemp]

I always made my bottom shorter but lately im putting my handle on center and im liking it

[blackhawk]

I swing both ways so I'm bisymetrical 

It just depends on the wood and the design of the bow...each has its own advantages,and one is not better than the other IMHO. A few times I've had to lay them out 3" assymetrical so I could get the most length out of a stave because of knot placements..and if I had centered my handle I would've lost almost 6-8" of length...ya just gotta read the wood and the design your making and apply the best method,which could be either way.

[paulsemp]

I swing both ways so I'm bi 

[paulsemp]

sorry I think I misquoted you

[Keenan]

I do both ways depending on the bow. Most the time shorter on the lower limb but some of the shorter bend through the handle bows I'll go dead center.

[toomanyknots]

Paul, that was beautiful what you just did. That probably made me laugh more than anything I've ever read on here,  . Thanks everybody for the input, it is all very much appreciated!

EDIT: One thing I've always wondered, is if the drawing technique has, or should have, any influence or effect on where the arrow pass should be placed, or symmetrical verses asymmetrical?

[blackhawk]

sorry I think I misquoted you

       I see someone took the bait