Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: bentstick54 on January 16, 2026, 11:38:10 pm
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Working on an osage bow and need to lose the final 2 to 3# of draw weight. Limb on the right is the top limb and has a little bit of twist between verticle lines 1 and 3, right out of the fade. It feels good in the hand at release.
1-3/4” wide at the fades, straight tapering to 3/8” tips. 66” ntn.
Would you tweek the tiller somewhere at this point, or sand the edges down to just lose the weight?
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Cut fades closer to center of bow making the limbs longer it won’t take much,
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I bet by the time you sand it down and finish it it will be darn close to your goal.
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I bet by the time you sand it down and finish it it will be darn close to your goal.
+1
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good looking bow. you could scrape a little here - or do as arvin said. soften the inners a little.
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Have you shot the bow? If not put 100 arrows through it and recheck the weight. You could also scrape the sides a little to reduce weight.
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That’s a pretty bend. Whatever it takes to keep that bend.
Bjrogg
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Round the corners a tad, sand it a little, talk harshly to it ::) >:D
Del
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Looks like your hand has healed up nicely - that is a nice bend.
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Lots of great thoughts. I think I’ve considered them all. I just get nervous when it gets down to the final nitty gritty. I have exercised it a lot on the tillering tree, but have limited short draw shots through it due to still have some soreness in my middle finger from my surgery. It’s sanded down close enough that I could finish it now, but can still sand more to remove some weight.
I originally put a tiny bit of reflex in the outer 1/3rds and flipped the tips so they were about 2” past the handle. It has lost about 1-1/4” of that.
The 20 or so shots I have through it at about 26” feels dead in the hand, and so far my bows in the past have not changed tiller or weight when worked this way.
I’m leaning towards working Arvins and Simks advice together so as not to risk any more set in the outer. Sometimes I just start second guessing myself and need some fresh eyes.
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Understandable. There isn’t much there that isn’t a bow.
Bjrogg
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That’s where I get worried Brian. I get so close to where I want to be, then things can go bad real fast. Can be a fine line between just enough and too much. Hopefully I can play with it some tomorrow and not go to far off track.
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I am with the sand and maybe round the edges a little and shoot, that is a beautiful tiller to these eyes and I think you can get a few pounds by doing that.
Pappy
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If it was a flight bow, id absolutely do, and have done, what Arvin said. But for any other bow, id round the edges with a light sanding and call it a day. Excellent tiller by the way, assuming its a flat bow unbraced, with stiff or slightly reflexed outter 3rd?
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Round the corners a tad, sand it a little, talk harshly to it ::) >:D
Del
I like Del’s advice
Bjrogg
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Well I got to work on it a little last night and some again this morning. I thought about Dels advice, but the talking harshly usually doesn’t end well for me so I followed Simk and Arvin’s advice and gently attacked the 1st 6”s of the inners and into the fade to the handle. Worked out great. Got it to my target weight of 46#. Shot about 30 arrows through it at full draw of 28” and let it sweat for several hours while I gave my hand a much needed rest, then shot another 20. Everything seems to have have settled in so far with no additional set or weight loss. Next step will be to put on a pair of road kill bull snake skins and truoil finish.
I’m trying to get this one done before I go in for back surgery Feb 2nd because I will definitely be out of the bow building/shooting for awhile.
Photo after touch up. Will try to get some final photos after finish and a full draw in hand before my surgery.
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Sleek, yes my caul is set up to put a very mild reflex in about the last 10” of the outer, then this is the 2nd one that I’ve flipped the tips on. Before any tillering the tips where about 2-1/2” in front of the handle, and now settle in about 1” in front of the handle after 30 minutes from unstringing.
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Looks really good bentstick!
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That looks great, very well done and good luck on the surgery. ;)
Pappy
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Thanks Dave.
Thanks Pappy, not looking forward to the back surgery. Surgery itself doesn’t scare me as much as the recovery time. I’m not one to lay around and do nothing. My wife says I’m a terrible patient.
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Very nice work, Brian. Good wishes for a speedy recovery!
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Brian do you have a picture of it unstrung? Beautiful bow.
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Thanks Damon.
Stickbow, I need to downsize some photos then I will post them.
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Here is the side profile before tillering and after.
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Basically it lost the little bit of set back I heated into the outer 1/3rds. Tips remain about 1” in front of the handle.