Help me with my hickory build

[Puckaway]

I'm new here! I'm going to try to post photos so bear with me.. I'm working on a hickory stave right now. Its just starting to bend. It has a lot of back set on one limb. The other is nearly straight. I wonder what to do? Do I attempt to steam and straighten the back set limb or try to steam and replicate it on the straight limb? Otherwise if I just left it wouldn't that limb need to be tillered significantly weaker to get both limbs to bend evenly? I'm new to this... Well not really, but new to being close to something that actually shoots! Thanks guys!

[Puckaway]

Ok it won't let me post pictures. Any ideas how? says to contact administrator or the picture is too big. I'm not a computer guy. never had a problem with my photos elsewhere....

[wizardgoat]

If it was your first bow I'd say just go for it and tiller it the best you can. If you've got a few shooters under your belt, spend some time and build a caul. All my bows have been going on the caul recently. It's much easier tillering a bow with even limbs, and say good bye to string follow

[burchett.donald]

  Keep'er dry bud, keep'er dry...Make a caul and heat treat the snot outa that thing...It will pay off
                                                                                                                                     Don

[JoJoDapyro]

There are a few ways to reduce photo size. Just google it, or look on the how to section here.

[Josh B]

As has been said, get your limbs equal and heat treat the belly.  It will be much easier to tiller that way.  However, if you decide to proceed as is you will need to keep the limbs bending equally.  If you start out with an asymmetrical profile stave.  It will have to stay asymmetrical throughout the bend from unbraced to full draw.  It can and has been done that way many, many times and if done correctly will perform just as well as a symmetrical "looking" bow.  But it won't look as good and it is more difficult to get the tiller correct.  Josh

[Pat B]

Right click on your pics, go to properties and see how big your pics are. If they are bigger than 640x480 you will have to make them smaller. I use Photobucket, a free online photo storage. You preset your Photobucket account to automatically reduce the size to 640x480.
 Another option is to set your camera to the lowest resolution setting. That usually is 640x480.

 If you have a heat gun you can reshape the stave so both limbs are the same.

[Puckaway]

Ive never heard of a caul. I went to properties and couldn't find anything to change the size of the photo.

[Pat B]

You can't change the size from there, only check to see what size the pic is.
 A caul is a form(2x4, 2x6  cut to shape) that you clamp the bow to to add  reflex, recurves, a R/D shape or to help straighten out bends and twists with the use of heat.

[Puckaway]

I understand. so heating and bending should be I order for this? I'm going to get some pictures up asap. I don't have a heat gun, but I could get one. How should hickory be heated? steam?

[Puckaway]

Lets try this. here it is.

[Puckaway]

Its been the cleanest piece of hickory I've worked so far. here is my other one at the same stage. I'm stuck here as well. The lower limb is knotty. When I pull a string down the middle it looks great if I were a lefty problem is I'm right handed. Flip the bow upside down and make the opposite limb lower limb?

[Buckeye Guy]

Looking good to me , keep going

[Pat B]

For now I'd keep tillering the bow until you can get it to low brace. You may not have to make the corrections until after that.

[Bob Barnes]

If the limbs are equal length then do as you thought and just flip it to get the string on the correct side for you.  That's how we use to do it before everyone started heating to correct...
looks pretty good so far.
Bob