long string tiller check

[sieddy]

Hello guys I'd appreciate some input on my progress with my latest effort. It's 59" Yew about 1.5" wide for most of the length has a stiff narrow handle.
The string is dangling a couple of inches and its pulling 55#@20". It's starting to take set past midlimb especially on the left (bowers knot end). I'm planning on removing wood near the fades (more on the left) and towards the tips. Any thoughts would be most helpful! Si 

[Pat B]

It's time to go to low brace at least but first the left limb is stiff on the outer 2/3. Get that bending better and leave the inner 1/3 for now. On a shorter string you may see a totally different profile.
 Once I get about 8" of tip movement and everything is OK I go to low brace. The sooner you get to brace the better.

[Bryce]

Long strings are liars. Go from a good floor tiller to low brace.

[sieddy]

Thanks fellas!

[High-Desert]

I second what Bryce said. Just use the long string to varify your floor tiller to make sure things are even, then get to low brace so you know what's really happening. Outer limbs are bending more than what the long string tells you.

[DC]

Outer limbs are bending more than what the long string tells you.

I was trying to come up with a clear way of saying this. Thank you. If you keep this firmly in mind you can stay on the long string a bit longer. I like to stay on the long string a bit longer because I'm not strong enough to brace it earlier and I do my "floor tillering" on the tree. Even bend is the key. Work to get that as soon as possible. If you're young and strong enough do like Bryce said

[PEARL DRUMS]

Shorten the string to get a 2" brace. The right side looks fair enough and the left needs to bend more mid limb and out. Fix that up before you brace it.

[sieddy]

Thanks again chaps. I'll get the left limb bending more, brace it and hopefully get some more pics up at the weekend.
 

[sieddy]

Hello again. I removed wood from mid to outers of the left limb and braced it at 2(ish)". Its Still pulling 55#@21" but has taken a little more set.
I'm thinking I need to scrape near the fade and from midlimb out on the right now. And possibly a bit more on the outer 3rd on the left also?

[Pat B]

You are getting more set because the outer limbs are stiff(both) which is putting more stress on the inner limbs.

[sieddy]

Thanks Pat. It's interesting as the outers feel quite thin now and I've been worrying about taking too much off em. But it's clear from the picture they are too stiff. What about near the handle on the right?

[Pat B]

Don't worry about the thickness, the bend is where proper tiller is.

[TimBo]

Near the handle on the right does look different, but the equivalent LH spot looks like it is bending too much to me.  Maybe get the outers working a bit more and take a photo while drawing by hand (use an assistant, a timer, or video it).  That might change the near-handle look a bit.

[Badger]

  It is bending too much in the left limb at 55#, you may need to drop it to 50# and even out your tiller before you go any further. The right limb looks good but it still has to get weaker to match the left limb.  That's one of the reasons you want to get the tiller evened out as early as possible to avoid coming in underweight. I would get the tiller even out at 50# on the long string before bracing.

[Morgan]

Thanks Pat. It's interesting as the outers feel quite thin now and I've been worrying about taking too much off em. But it's clear from the picture they are too stiff. What about near the handle on the right?

I absolutely relate. I’m working on a 60” bow off and on that the limbs seem ridiculously thin on and is still heavy. If you haven’t got a gizmo, it’s a very good tool to have in your box of you’re having a difficult time reading the bend on a particular stave. The time you take to make one will replace itself ten fold once you use it.