Reflex at tip

[BigWapiti]

I'm working a Russian olive stave I cut a couple years ago.  No idea how this wood will do. I'm working two bows of different styles.  This one has a pretty bad bit of reflex about 10" from the tip. More than I want. 

Should I keep tillering and hope it comes out?  Or heat, steam or boil it to try to bend it out?  I just worry about it losing strength.

Thoughts?  Thanks

[hunterbob]

I would reflex the other to match the one with reflex.

[scp]

Very good question! All depends on your level of craftmanship. I would keep it as simple as possible and just keep on tillering to see nice curves on both limbs. What is your target draw weight?

[BigWapiti]

Shooting going for 60#.

I'm strongly considering just continuing w the tiller. Trying to decide where to focus in removing wood. It could turn quick if I don't plan my scrapes at that bend.  I think I'll try moving forward - but if there's any suggestions I'm all ears.

[Badger]

  Anything you do while tillering that changes the shape of the bow is damage to the bow. I would use some heat to maybe ballance the two out, reduce the reflex slightly on one side and maybe add a touch to the other. This is why cawls are so valuable they start you off with a ballanced stave.

[scp]

If it's just 10 inches from the tip, I would steam in a matching reflex on the other limb first. Doing so would make tillering a lot easier.

[BigWapiti]

Hrmm. Maybe you're right. I'll try to match them up a little. Just concerned I'll compromise strength w heat bending. No?

[scp]

We really need to make it clear what is the level of craftmanship our advises target: beginners, intermediates, or experts. Frankly, I'm no expert, but I believe I know enough to help beginners.

[scp]

I read that heat bending would make wood 10% weaker. But near tips it would not matter much.

[bubby]

Do like badger said, bub

[Badger]

  You don't have any serious bends to make, I am not convinced that heat neding a little causes any loss of strength. If you were to make a 1/2 cawl and treat each limb individually you could easily put them into any shape you want.

[lostarrow]

SCP- even if heat bending made it weaker, the stave would be balanced and any weakness would be compensated for in tillering(leaving it thicker to bend the same as the other limb)  If you don't balance it out, tillering  would just get exponentially more complicated .  It would be very easy to misjudge the tiller and  weaken the reflexed limb to make the tiller look right. I know that it could be tillered as is , but it wouldn't be of benefit  to  anyone , IMHO.

[BigWapiti]

Alright. Sounds like the majority rules. I'll bend each limb to an even match.

Now I can tiller, it's the heated bends I've not yet done. Dry or wet heat?  If wet, steam or boil?  I'm suspecting heat (maybe w some oil / bacon grease?)

Thanks folks.

[dwardo]

Tillering a bow is hard enough with even limbs.
Couldnt do without my cauls now. Makes life so much easier, especially considering they took about to make.

[Del the cat]

  Anything you do while tillering that changes the shape of the bow is damage to the bow. I would use some heat to maybe ballance the two out, reduce the reflex slightly on one side and maybe add a touch to the other. This is why cawls are so valuable they start you off with a ballanced stave.

+1
By way of further explanation.
If you tiller it to pull out the reflex then the danger is you have made that limb too weak.
If you leave the reflex then it should show slightly at full draw. E.G peculiarities in the stave should still be there at full draw. If it looks even at full draw then the reflex limb is flexing much more than the straight one and is thus too weak.
Easiest thing is to even out the two limbs before you tiller it.
Del