Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Shaun77 on September 03, 2008, 05:33:15 pm

Title: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Shaun77 on September 03, 2008, 05:33:15 pm
Hey guys,

   My dad got me a long bow blank for christmas last year and I ahave just now got around to working on it.  The directions that came with the bow are not very good so I could use some help.  I think I am at the point of tillering, but all the dierctions say is "to go down teh limb 10" and measure to the string.  The distance should be the same."  My question is where do I measure the 10 inches from?  The tip of the limb or the arrow rest? The bottom limb is longer than the top so if I measure from the rest I get a 1/4" difference on teh sides.  If I measure from the tips of the limbs the distance is pretty much dead on.  I have some pictures of the bow, but since this is my first post I do not know how to post them.  Thanks for any help.

Shaun
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: cowboy on September 03, 2008, 06:30:35 pm
Shaun: I've never messed with a bow blank that came with direction's. Sounds like it may have come to you already about tillered. Sounds like your supposed to brace the bow and check the tiller by measuring ten inches from center of handle or maybe start of fade then measure from belly side to the string on both limbs which should be the same. I'd wait for someone who knows for sure before bracing the bow - at minimum you want to make sure all edges are rounded on the limbs and back is nice and smooth before bracing.
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Shaun77 on September 03, 2008, 07:49:31 pm
Cowboy,

   Thanks for the info.  I have the limbs nice and smooth and the edges rounded, but when I measure from the middle of the bow I get 1/4" from the bellu of the limb to the string.  I stopped messing with it because I don't want to mess it up.

Shaun
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: cowboy on September 03, 2008, 08:05:39 pm
Pictures surely would be helpful at this point. Try to add them to your next post. Look below the box your typing in, click on Additional Options, this will open up a box where you should be able to drill down to your pictures, double click on the pic you want to attach. Make sure it's 200kb or smaller.
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Shaun77 on September 03, 2008, 09:57:46 pm
Here is one picture of the bow strung.  Let me know if you need more and I'll get you some.  Thanks again for the help.

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Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Dano on September 03, 2008, 10:07:50 pm
The bow looks good braced, what is the length?
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: mullet on September 03, 2008, 10:59:53 pm
  The bow looks good braced to me , too. I'd hate to tell you to pull it back some and let us look at it some more,, but,, pull it a little with a picture. Do you have any idea how much wieght it is pulling right now?
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Shaun77 on September 03, 2008, 11:28:34 pm
I have no idea what it is pulling at the moment.  It is supposed to be 55# at 28 inches.  I think it's a 66" or 68" bow and that is a 62" sting on it.  I'll see if I can get my wife to take a few pictures of me drawing it a little.  Thanks for the replies.
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: cowboy on September 04, 2008, 10:19:26 am
That does look good braced, think it did come to you about tillered. You don't want to just rare back on it for a full draw picture - I wouldn't. Just play with it a little at a time as Mullet suggested with a pic, you can tell a lot from a picture on tiller.
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Shaun77 on September 04, 2008, 07:25:57 pm
Ok, here are a few more pictures.  I didn't draw it all the way. Just about half.  Thanks for all the help.

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Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Dano on September 04, 2008, 07:30:41 pm
It doesn't look bad, but your holding it upside down. ::)  How heavy does it feel at that draw?
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Shaun77 on September 04, 2008, 10:00:14 pm
I'm not holding it upside down.  This isn't the first one I've had, just the first one I've built. 

It feels pretty heavy at that point though.  Can I take it to an archery store and have them test the draw weight or is there a way I can do it at home?
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: david w. on September 04, 2008, 10:05:20 pm
you can take it to an archery store but the owner may be reluctant because its a selfbow   its just the compounders dont know what a real bow is  ::)

to me the bow looks like it is bending to close to the handle and the top limb is stiffer than the bottom limb.  I am not a very good tillerer though so i would wait for someone more experienced to chime in
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Shaun77 on September 04, 2008, 10:28:41 pm
Yeah the top one is stronger than the bottom one, but it is also shorter.
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Dano on September 04, 2008, 10:33:29 pm
Normally the shorter limb is the bottom limb, and from the looks of that riser it is the bottom limb. But that's just my oppinion.
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Badger on September 04, 2008, 10:44:36 pm
I think it is bending a bit too much right out of the handle i would fix that before I went any further, might just be the camera angle though. Steve
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: kayakfisher on September 04, 2008, 11:16:41 pm
Can you show us a picture of the riser and arrow rest or shelf if it has one on it
                                                           Dennis
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: cowboy on September 05, 2008, 10:26:14 am
I would have to agree - does appear to be bending most just past the handle, may need a little scraping mid limb. or could be the camera, I couldn't tell ya which side is up - but would listen to these guys :). What did your instruction's say as far as tiller and finishing?
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Shaun77 on September 05, 2008, 05:35:19 pm
Ok.  Here are some pictures of the arrow rest and riser.  The directions didn't say much. 

The directions say to "go up the limb 10" and measure from the inner limb to the string on each side and see if there is any difference in the measurements.  If there is you want to take the string off and remove material from the stronger limb."

The stronger limb seems to be the upper one because it is closer from the inner limb to the string on that one.  The question I have is from where would I normally want to measure up the limb 10"?  Is it from the arrow rest or the tip of the limb?



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Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: El Destructo on September 05, 2008, 06:05:53 pm
     Was the Rest already cut into the Stave?? Looks to me like the thicker part should have been the Bottom Limb.....JMO
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: kayakfisher on September 05, 2008, 06:08:32 pm
Okay here is how I tiller my bows since yours is already braced [strung ] go to the tips of the bow and measure back six inches from the tips [ both ends or knocks] and draw a line put a mark then measure six inches from that mark going down the limbs both sides / in six inch increments [.......6........]............6.........]............6.........].............6..........] until your marks meet in the middle some where  when you string your bow take a twelve inch ruler tape measure yard stick will work and go to your first six inch mark from the tip/nock and take a measurement then go to opposite limb and do the same thing write the measure ment down by the mark then go on down the limb in this manner this will tell you how close you are and where needs more scraped off if its within a 1/8 inch of being same don't worry at this point. Your going to need a way of measuring draw weight go to lumberyard and purchase a two by two and screw a 6 by six piece of plywood ,pine ,oak or something on it starting from the top of the two by two measure in one inch increments write it on the two by two1.....2......3......4........5......6.....7... all the way to thirty inches you will probably not go that far place the two by two with the square piece on your bath room scale and set the scale to zero take the strung bow and place the middle of the string on the two by two and slowly push the bow down and watch the scale if and watch the measurement on the two by two  if want a fifty Pound bow  at say twenty  eight inch draw  and your at fifteen inches  on the two by two and your weight is still pretty heavy your going to have to scrape more off the belly of the limbs remeasure everything keep the bow bending even on both sides place back on the two by two and slowly push down you will get a little farther down the two by two stop when you get to the measurement on the two by two that is you draw length and the weight you want the bow go slow don't rush or get in a hurry .
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: kayakfisher on September 05, 2008, 06:21:25 pm
a picture is woth a thousand words

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Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Dano on September 05, 2008, 06:39:23 pm
Where did your Dad get this bow?
Title: Re: First try at making a bow, need help with tillering?
Post by: Shaun77 on September 05, 2008, 08:05:53 pm
The arrow rest was already in the bow when he got it.

Kayakfisher-Thank you for the better instructions.  That makes more since and the pictures are great.  I'll do what you suggested to check the weight as well.

Dano-  I think he got it off fo ebay.  It was only like $99 or something like that, but for one to hack at for a first time I don't think it's that bad.

Thanks everyone for the help.

Shaun