Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: legend on September 03, 2025, 05:54:49 pm
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This is out of sheer curiosity regarding bend through the handle bows . does the design of these bows sometimes require the face of the back of the bow to be slightly rounded ?
when tillering is the whole of the belly tillered including the handle ?
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This is out of sheer curiosity regarding bend through the handle bows . does the design of these bows sometimes require the face of the back of the bow to be slightly rounded ?
when tillering is the whole of the belly tillered including the handle ?
rounded back required would be only if you were replicating a specific design. bend thru the handle is a generalized description of many examples.
since the type is all "limb", the handle area needs to be tillered to bend properly.
having less bend in the handle area and more bend in the mid limbs works well
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Once again thanks for your great information willie
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There is no absolute reason why it's better to round the back of a bow, or the belly for that matter. It's mainly a stylistic thing, or dealing with the natural crown of a narrow tree stave. You can go deeper into it, reasons like trapping, or crowned staves, and wood usually being stronger in tension than compression, theoretically advantages performance in some designs.
You can tiller the whole belly including the handle if necessary. It depends on the dimensions of the stave you start floor tillering, and the weight of the bow you intend. Unless you are familiar with the design, and species you might not have a good idea of how thick to go. In this case it's better to go with a thicker handle than necessary and tiller bend into the handle area later in the process. Have the handle bending too early and what usually happens later on is this section bends too much through the handle, and not evenly enough in the limbs, when you reach your intended draw length.
If you start with known dimensions of a bow that bends through the handle with a good tiller, you probably won't need to remove much wood if any from the handle area.
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it's better to go with a thicker handle than necessary and tiller bend into the handle area later in the process. Have the handle bending too early and what usually happens later on is this section bends too much through the handle, and not evenly enough in the limbs, when you reach your intended draw length.
+1
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+2 what Hamish said.
I like to leave the handle area thicker to start and get the mid limb bending then out towards the tip. Then I bring the bend back into the handle so I can feel a slight movement in the handle when I hit my full draw.
You can narrow the handle area to make the handle more comfortable and it would be historically correct.
If you use a tree stave you will have a rounded back. The degree of that crown will depend on the diameter of the tree. You can decrown the stave but that is something I don't like doing.
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Thanks willie , Hamish and Pat for the advice on these bows , I think its a sensible idea leaving the handle untill the tillering is done at mid limbs and out towards the tips .
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Regarding the BITH Bows , would I be right in saying that if you only want a slight flex in the handle rather that a full bend , once you have tillered the mid to outer limbs to the tips , its all really down to how much tillering you do at the handle as to how much or how little bend you want in them ?
With a BITH Bow is it still acceptable to clamp the tips down and put a 2" to 3" block under the handle area for a slight reflex whilst heat treating the belly ?
Thanks
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Unless you are trying to be historically accurate you can do whatever you want with this bow. Before you heat treat and reflex it be sure the tiller is spot on. Once you get the tillering done see how she shoots. Sometimes just by shooting a new bow the tiller can change.
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once you have tillered the mid to outer limbs to the tips, its all really down to how much tillering you do at the handle as to how much or how little bend you want in them ?
you are best off to tiller both the handle area and the entire limbs together at the same time. if you leave the handle area untouched untill after you tiller the limbs you will come in underweight.
the handle area needs to be tillered along with the limbs as you draw the bow out towards the desired drawlength.
just dont let the center bend too much too early