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Tiller gadget???
superdav95:
--- Quote from: Jim Davis on January 09, 2024, 03:36:22 pm ---I floor tiller until normal brace, then eyeball the bends and adjust as needed.
When the bends look as good as I can guess I go to my tillering post and pull with a scale and rope.
I don't do any measuring. Measuring is of no use unless you are working with a flawless stave. Any kinks or curves make numbers worthless.
People have made tillering tools for a long time, but tillered without them far longer.
https://www.archerylibrary.com/books/hickman/archery-the-technical-side/klopsteg/a-bend-meter-and-a-bow-weigher-using-the-same-indicator/
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I wish I was good enough to not need tools to assist me in tillering. I’m sure it will get better over time and be less reliant on them and still get good results. This curvometer is a good reminder that it’s all been done to some extent. Cool idea!
Dances with squirrels:
"I don't do any measuring. Measuring is of no use unless you are working with a flawless stave. Any kinks or curves make numbers worthless."
I'm with Jim on this, to include, lumps, bumps, small deflex or reflex areas, and more, but...
It's ok to use 'some' measuring instruments or thickness or bend indicators if we apply them appropriately and not give them more value than they deserve, always keeping in mind that a selfbow's limbs, and/or areas of the same limb are unique and shouldn't necessarily be made to look or flex like the other limb, or other areas of the same limb. Doing so might make the limb look more pleasing to the eye, or like the perfect limb or arc in our mind's eye, but isn't necessarily the best thing for the bow.
superdav95:
--- Quote from: Dances with squirrels on January 15, 2024, 10:43:22 am ---"I don't do any measuring. Measuring is of no use unless you are working with a flawless stave. Any kinks or curves make numbers worthless."
I'm with Jim on this, to include, lumps, bumps, small deflex or reflex areas, and more, but...
It's ok to use 'some' measuring instruments or thickness or bend indicators if we apply them appropriately and not give them more value than they deserve, always keeping in mind that a selfbow's limbs, and/or areas of the same limb are unique and shouldn't necessarily be made to look or flex like the other limb, or other areas of the same limb. Doing so might make the limb look more pleasing to the eye, or like the perfect limb or arc in our mind's eye, but isn't necessarily the best thing for the bow.
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Thanks for your thoughts on this. I only would use this to get to low brace. I’ve also used a floor tiller method lots too and still will. I have found that using a method like this however helps me get to low brace little quicker with less adjustment then if I floor tiller. That’s just me. I still incorporate all the principles of good taper and or narrowing needed including humps and bumps on belly and back. I use my fingers as calipers for this going by feel and by eye. On more intricate builds and multiple laminated layer bows I’ll use actual calipers. This little gadget is just a convenient tool for me to get close. The real job of tillering keeps going from there. My theory is that it may be possible to avoid some over stressing the limbs that may occur during floor tiller by the use of a tool like this to get to low brace instead. I know that for me getting a bow to brace with floor tiller sometimes results in uneven limbs when braced. Not a big deal I suppose but when I’ve used this method I rarely get that if at all. I also find that doing so makes the rest of the tiller easier. When I floor tiller I will typically get my inners bending as well as I can and as evenly as I can with slightly less bending on the outers. I’ll then work the outers and mids to get bend looking good. This works for me just fine to a good shooting bow. I’ve often wondered if more stresses are placed on the inners floor tillering this way. Now some will say well why not just get the bend looking good the entire length of the limb before brace? I’ve tried this and found I get a little more set poss as result of the stresses are put on the outers. I may be overthinking this and the difference may be negligible. Going by feel is great for persons who have the experience to do it correctly. For those that are still getting there a tool like this or anything like it (pappys string measure method) to assist is a good option till then. My first several bows were all floor tillered. I know that getting to brace with some of those was likley done too early and stressed the wood prematurely putting way more pull in lbs draw weight target to get to brace. They still shot ok but difference was noticeable. I guess my thinking with this little gadget is that a new bowyer can use something like this or the like and be able to stay below target draw weight safely limiting over stresses until they get a good feel for floor tillering. A good strategy for progress for newer bowyers may be a combination of both a measuring gadget and floor tiller to get experience and feel for how much force one should apply when floor tillering. I hope someone out there can get some use for it possibly especially those just starting out.
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