Hickory Board Bow#6

[chasonhayes]

Please comment. Looking for suggestions to improve.
67" ntn
handle is shifted down 3/4" to help center the arrow.
2" wide at fade and for 15" then tapering to 3/8 at tip
last 6" of tip were left thick 5/8"
40# at 27"
2" string follow on bottom limb 1" on top limb
My observations is that I got impatient at the worst time after making little progress in tillering. I tried to follow the instructions in Traditional bowyers bible vol 1
I shot a homemade arrow at a card board box with good success. But not having done archery for 30 years has made me weak and I couldn't fully pull the bow back.

[Pat B]

It's bending too much at the fades. Don't pull it that far until you get more limb bending. I'd say it time to shorten up your tiller string. Make just long enough to fit tip to tip.

[RyanY]

What do you think about the shape of the bend and what should you do to correct it? I think you’re missing an understanding of the tillering process.

[chasonhayes]

I am definitely struggling with the tillering. I am having trouble seeing where it bends too much and where it's flat. Should I use a straight edge as a guide while it's on a tillering stick? How long can I safely leave it bent while marking areas to work?

[Fox]

Im wondering why no one has said to make one of these yet!! http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,61422.0.html
it's a tillering gizmo and probably one of the best tools you can have for learning to tiller a bow, especially a board bow. there super easy to make, so go make one and re-tiller your bow, 

[TimBo]

"How long can I safely leave it bent while marking areas to work?"  If you are drawing it back around say 15" or less, you have a lot more time to work with.  Once you get closer to full draw, don't pull it back for more than a few seconds.  That is a good time to snap a picture, or video it and freeze the frame at the longest draw so you can study it at your leisure.

I strongly second the gizmo suggestion!

[chasonhayes]

Excellent suggestion. I will make one tomorrow. Here is the latest tillering pic. Are the limbs moving better?
Braced at 3 7/8"
String pulled to 14"

[bjrogg]

Put a x on the left fade and don’t remove it. Bending to much out of fades. Make a tillering gizmo. Developing a eye for tillering might take some time. The gizmo should help you get to where you have the bend you are looking for.
Bjrogg

PS when I look at a bow I’m tillering. I try not to look just at how it’s bending, but also to look at where it isn’t.

Where it isn’t. Where it’s limbs are still stiff and straight. That’s where you need to put pencil marks and scrap them off. That’s the wood that isn’t a bow

[Don W]

Snap a picture and use mspaint or a similar program to help.

[Morgan]

What BJ said!
I think what you are experiencing is the normal struggles of someone starting out. The more you get under your belt, the easier it will be for you, just learn from what’s happening. You should absolutely make a tillering gizmo! With the woods I commonly work with, I know at what thickness they start to bend and rough to approximately that thickness. Then I work the outer 2/3 of the limb first blending it in to the inner. The reason is that you can put a 2x4 on a tiller tree and it will bend if pulled hard enough, and most of that bend will be in the center. Since your staves will want to bend in the center naturally, it is good for me to encourage it to start bending in the outer 2/3 first. Don’t get overly frustrated, it will come and you will get there.

[Deerhunter21]

Glad to see your still chugging along! Tillering gizmos are a godsend when your starting out. Heck, straightedges are a a gamechanger when your starting out! I would suggest on your next bow, make the fades work until you see the middle working. Man, your making me want to start making bows again!!!

[chasonhayes]

I really appreciate the suggestions.
I made the tillering gizmo and will give it a try in the next few days. Raining now and my tillering rack is outside. I will post a few more pics when I think that the tiller is better.

This bow is going to end up very light which is fine. It will be fun to shoot until I can make a better one. I have plenty of hickory haha. Each build teaches me something. After seeing my partially successful creations all 3 of my (grown)  boys now want me to make them each a bow and arrow set and also the little boy down the street so I will be making these things for a while.

[bjrogg]

That’s the right attitude. Learn what you can from every bow. Come in at your right weight will get easier as you gain experience and see how the wood behaves.

Right now I would rather see you end up under weight with a nice bend. Than at your intended weight and a poor bend.

Good luck and keep learning

Bjrogg

[chasonhayes]

The tillering gizmo is a miracle worker! enough said. I used it for about an hour today and worked on it about 20 times. Here is the latest pic. Appreciate comments.

[chasonhayes]

here is a pic with an ellipse drawn