Off center stave advise

[Buckskinner]

I'm working on a hickory stave that I cut in early February.  I cut out basic outline and then dried in a redneck kiln above my shop furnace until it stopped losing weight a few days ago.   During drying it developed a pretty good bend on both ends causing the string to set up off center.  I've just put a very long string on it so haven't done anything but floor tillering.  Is there any remedy for this or is what it is?

Thanks for any input.

[Pat B]

I'd keep tillering and get it to first low brace then see how the string tracks.
 Your tips look wide so you can move the tips over by removing wood from one side of each tip to move the string over toward center.

[Hamish]

Your best bet is to build a reflex form, and give it some reflex to even up the limbs. Dry heat, with a heat gun.

You can also correct any string offset at the same time.

+ what Pat said.

[Del the cat]

You have enough tip width to push the string across to the right. If that solves the problem, then just shave away the left edge of the limb tips and position the nocks accordingly.
Just realized the photos are horribly distorted, but you still probably have room to try it.
Del

[bownarra]

The reason it did it is because you reduced the width. When putting a stave up to dry like that it should be the same width all the way along its length. Also leaving the handle wide until it is strung allows you to shape the handle to where the string wants to lie.

[Pappy]

I would just straighten it with heat after the first low brace. They will do that a lot of times when cut to shape while still green.
 Pappy

[Buckskinner]

Thanks for the help.  I should have checked pics, for some reason they distort bad once in a while when posting.

[Buckskinner]

I decided to make a reflex form since the top limb had some already, worked well! Slight bit of propellor on one limb, hopefully that can be tillered out.  Thanks again for the help.

[George Tsoukalas]

Always a good option is to leave the handle full width and the nocks an inch or so until the first stringing or full draw. That way the string can be tracked better. The nocks and handle can be prettied up later. Jawge

[bjrogg]

All good options. I would have taken the route you took. Straightening with a caul. It may add some work in the short term, but I think it saves it in the long run.

I wouldn’t worry to much about the propeller unless you plan on recurves. I wouldn’t tiller it out unless it wasn’t there at unbraced and showed up as it was drawn. If it’s just there at rest and you want to remove it. Do it with heat.

I agree. I always leave handle wide till late in the tiller process. I can use it to clamp in vise that way and like others said it can be move side to side to help with string alignment.

Good luck. Keep posting pictures and asking questions as you go.

Bjrogg

[Buckskinner]

I will do that for future builds.  I got tillering started last night and will put up some pics for input later this afternoon.  You guys are a big help to us newbies...

[Buckskinner]

Tiller check please.  Left limb is top and is one inch longer that bottom. 

Both limbs have some reflex in middle when not strung.  Do you take this into account when assessing tiller? Both middles seem stiff to me, especially the left. 

[Pat B]

You want both limbs bending evenly and together no matter their side profile.

[Buckskinner]

Thanks, Pat!

[bownarra]

Your form is not ideal. Of course you can use shims to alter the shape. Your form has all the bend mid-limb - that is what is making tillering harder than it needs to be. A reflexed form should be straight through the handle and the radius of the bend decreasing as you move along the form towards the tips. EG. elliptical.
I would redo the form then heat treat again and bend the limbs into a btter shape. That reflex mid- limb will make it much harder to tiller correctly.