Tillers help

[Bowyer23]

Just finishing up with this bow made from some wonderful straight, knot free Osage (one in about 30 ain't bad hey) and just wanted some advice on the final tiller. Just note the piece of wood in which the handle sits isn't 100 percent straight, so the whole bow is slightly tilted to one side. Look forward to your input!

[Bowyer23]

Really is a thing of beauty when you get the perfect stave haha

[Dances with squirrels]

Folks first need a picture of it unbraced as a baseline in order to offer any credible opinion on how the limbs are working as they're flexed.

[Bowyer23]

Thanks you, picture attached

[Bowyer23]

So this post would be fairly pointless without me posting an updated picture, so here's what it's currently looking like.

[Bowyer23]

Anyone?

[Eric Krewson]

Something looks funky on your right limb to me but it is hard to tell with the brick background.

Right out of the fade above the first brick joint I think I see an abrupt bend, not quite a hinge but a weak spot.

[Bowyer23]

Yeah I was thinking the same but im finding it hard to quite put my finger on it either. It's currently pulling 40 pounds at 20 inches so can afford to remove some more wood

[Bowyer23]

Here's a picture just at brave, pulled to 20 inches and of the tiny knot I think I found on the exact spot you mentioned which might explain it

[DC]

If you think you see something you should pay attention. I sometimes think my eyes are smarter than my brain. If my eyes see something I mark it and leave it for a bit even if I'm not sure. I can always scrape the spot if it ends up being thick.

[Bowyer23]

Yeah I thought the same thing but half of the time I look at say the picture drawn to 20 inches or just look on the tillers tree i see the weak spot mentioned, but the other half i see them bending evenly haha hence seeking out the opinion of other, more than likely more experienced people:)

[Bowyer23]

Here it is at 23 inches and something is definitely up. Is one of the limbs a bit less reflexed than the other perhaps? Also another quick one, do you reckon it would be capable of reahing a 28 inch draw? I've only been game enough to draw it to 24 inches so far. Its only 58 inches long, but width at the fades is 1.67 inches and about 0.85 inches at the tips.

[RyanY]

Almost all of your bend is right in the fades. With your unbraced profile I would have expected that reflex to straighten out by now but it’s still visible at 23”. It could make it to 28” based on design alone but I imagine it’s already highly stressed in the inner limb with it doing all the work.

[Bowyer23]

Thank you, very helpful! It tapers from about 0.7inches thickness at the fades to about 0.4 at the tips, but obviously not tapered enough so now I know where I'll be removing the wood Cheers

[Tommy D]

I am not an expert so please take this advice only if it’s backed up by other’s with more experience - but to me it looks like it’s bending too much towards the handles and not enough mid and outer limb - especially if you want to get it to 28 inches. I would wait for someone else to comment but that’s my sense! I have a tendency to take too much off inner limb - I think many people do. I am working on trying to do it the other way round - get my tips and mid limbs bending more first.