Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: cool_98_555 on April 14, 2018, 05:22:30 pm

Title: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: cool_98_555 on April 14, 2018, 05:22:30 pm
Hi guys,

I finished another osage selfbow.  Shoots great, with really straight arrow flight, and hardly any hand shock.  BUT...it has 1/8" negative tiller, and I shoot split finger with the arrow about 1.5" above center.  Should I just leave it?  Will it make the bottom limb a lot weaker over time?  Should I fix it and lose another 5 pounds or so?  Anyone have a great shooting bow that has negative tiller?


Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: Stick Bender on April 14, 2018, 05:35:19 pm
If it was my bow and it was shooting great with no shock or vibration, I would leave it , I let how the bow shoots tells me what to do ! but one trick I used in the past where I wanted more positive tiller with out losing weight was to shim the limb tip on a caul and heat a slight bit of reflex in !
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: George Tsoukalas on April 14, 2018, 05:58:49 pm
I say enjoy your bow as is. Jawge
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: cool_98_555 on April 14, 2018, 06:21:41 pm
How do you guys measure positive/negative tiller?  I have been measuring by putting the back of the handle flat against the wall and measuring the deflection of both tips.  I've also tried measuring from a spot on the belly to the string on both limbs, but I don't know which is correct.  Maybe I'm using the wrong measuring method?
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: Stick Bender on April 14, 2018, 06:44:43 pm
This is one of those topics that come up where you will get a lot of different answers , some think that positive tiller can only be measured at full draw , but the way I was taught to do it is brace the bow 7 in. from the back of the bow and measure from the belly at the end of the fades to the string , I shoot for 1/8 positive on self bows but I had one bow that came out at a hair under 1/4 positive and it shot fine , the end game to me is how it shoots ! The concept of positive tiller is for limb timing with natural material bows measuring doesn't always tell the whole story but most of the time it will in my experience.
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: Dances with squirrels on April 14, 2018, 06:58:30 pm
I do NOT want my bows to have positive tiller. I want them to be balanced at full draw and that's what I use as my beacon, not an ambiguous predetermined tiller measurement. I shoot split, the top limb is longer, and they usually end up tillered even or slightly negative when complete... but they could be anything depending on limb shape differences, internal disparities, etc. All the more reason to balance the limb according to how they act at full draw draw, rather than how they look at brace.
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: Badger on April 14, 2018, 07:04:26 pm
  most of my bows are symmetrical, same length limbs. I have had a few over the years that changed tiller a little once they were shot in, if they still shot good without any unusual adjustment to my knock height I didn't worry about it. I like the arrow to draw straight back on the bow not with my fingers but with the hook placed right below the arrow nock. I figure when I shoot an arrow my fingers are no longer on the string anyway.
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: BowEd on April 14, 2018, 08:18:33 pm
What I've seen on a number of my bows is that when I tiller equally balanced limbs to 1/8" positive tiller by measurement of string to belly that after shooting it in the tip of the bottom limb is with 1/8" more set than the top limb at rest.That's shooting split finger though.
I've always just left it be and continued on shooting it with no bad things happening to it.
The only problem about adjusting with heat to the lower limb is that there's a reason it's that way.
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: Jim Davis on April 14, 2018, 09:01:26 pm
I just look at the bow and if I see one end is a little more curved at brace height, that becomes the top limb.

If over time, the other limb bends more, I turn it upside down and shoot it that way.

I don't sweat the small stuff.
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: Hamish on April 14, 2018, 09:09:01 pm
 Is the set even between the limbs or does one limb show significantly more? That will tell you if you need to make modifications.
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: cool_98_555 on April 14, 2018, 11:55:49 pm
Set is 1.5” on both limbs
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: Carl Galvin on April 15, 2018, 02:23:25 am
What is negative tiller, is that another way of saying "set"?
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: cool_98_555 on April 15, 2018, 09:11:37 am
No negative tiller is when the bottom limb bends more than the top limb.
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: Carl Galvin on April 15, 2018, 03:36:57 pm
I have the opposite problem.

(http://i.imgur.com/jFvCiln.jpg) (https://imgur.com/jFvCiln)
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: okie64 on April 15, 2018, 04:53:34 pm
You could cut 1/2” or so off the bottom limb. Or just file another set of nocks in 1/2” or so from the nocks on your bottom limb now and then check it again.
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: cool_98_555 on April 15, 2018, 05:16:32 pm
After taking a picture and looking at the tiller here, it seems ok now.  Maybe it just needed to be shot a few more times to get used to an arrow?  Not sure...tell me what you guys think.
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: Carl Galvin on April 15, 2018, 05:19:13 pm
Wow, nice looking bow!
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: cool_98_555 on April 15, 2018, 05:20:33 pm
Thanks!  She's a snakey one too, but you can't tell from the side picture.  When I get it all finished up i'll post some more pics! :BB
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: Carl Galvin on April 15, 2018, 05:21:48 pm
Im just a rookie, but that looks like a great Arc to me
Title: Re: Negative tiller. Fix it or leave it?
Post by: burchett.donald on April 16, 2018, 05:07:40 am
    Cool 98,  from the looks of that picture you are very balanced...I don't put to much into negative or positive tiller when it comes to a stave bow...Don't know if I could accurately measure it anyway, unlike glass bows, stave bows can have so many variables, Differences in limb thickness between both limbs, undulations, slight limb twist, etc...Positive or negative will be an ending result from good balanced tiller on a stave and I accept what ever it is as long as it shoots good and feels balanced...
                                                                                                                                        Don