Author Topic: Tiller help please (Read 4142 times)

Arrowbuster · « **on:** June 13, 2016, 08:31:31 pm »

Working on my 2nd hopefully successful bow. I backed her with bamboo and the wood is Osage. I'm thinking I need to take some more off the right hand side like the last 2/3s what say you guys?

bubby · « **Reply #1 on:** June 13, 2016, 08:59:30 pm »

Don't pull it that far untill you address those hinges. The right limb is doing most of the bendind just out of the fade, a little farther out on the left and maybe in the outer third do you have a unbraced pic I'm assuming it isn't a r/d

Arrowbuster · « **Reply #2 on:** June 13, 2016, 09:01:31 pm »

It is slight r/d I will take a pic and post.

Arrowbuster · « **Reply #3 on:** June 13, 2016, 09:09:58 pm »

Unbraced

Knotty · « **Reply #4 on:** June 13, 2016, 09:30:10 pm »

Well, most of the bend is within the fades, now stop tillering the fade outs and start scraping the 2/3's to the tips, you Will want to seek an even taper from the fades to the tips (which will be left slightly stiff) , creating an even bend throughout the whole limb.

Arrowbuster · « **Reply #5 on:** June 13, 2016, 10:19:06 pm »

Ok I see that now . The only good thing about this is I'm still way heavy, I'd say the bow is 75 pounds or so. Wow that boo adds some weight.

mikekeswick · « **Reply #6 on:** June 14, 2016, 03:37:37 am »

Be careful - there isn't much wood to come off to lower the weight even if it were 75# @ full draw. Now more than ever you need to finesse the wood off.

Pappy · « **Reply #7 on:** June 14, 2016, 04:13:28 am »

What was said above, stay off the fads, I always save the fads till last for that reason, takes a lot to catch them up if they get ahead.

Pappy

Arrowbuster · « **Reply #8 on:** June 14, 2016, 05:31:29 am »

Pappy, for future reference, when you say you do your fades last. Do you mean you just rough them down a little then work the limbs then go back to them once limbs are even? I'm sorry for the silly questions but I'm still a pup when it comes to the bow making game.

Pappy · « **Reply #9 on:** June 14, 2016, 06:10:45 am »

Yes, I may work them a little but not much until I get the rest of the limb working and then in the last
few inches of draw ,I probably start working them more at about 20inches or so I start working them, it is so easy to get them moving to much to fast and any set there really multiplies at the tips. I don't let them get no attention just not as much as mid limb, I do the same with the lasts 6 inches or so toward the tips.

Easy to get a whip tiller if you work the outer 1/3 to early also. Once that happened on either end it takes a lot to catch the mid back up.

Pappy

mikekeswick · « **Reply #10 on:** June 15, 2016, 03:01:09 am »

I make sure that the tiller is as good as I can get it all the way through the tillering. I hear this a lot about leaving this bit stiff until near the end and it will of course work for some people but if you don't have the 'eye' for that I would recommend getting the whole limb as close to perfect as possible all the way through tillering.
The reason being that if you have any stiff area then you are by necessity putting more strain on the rest of the limb. If you have a weak spot in the area that is working everytime you bend it you are putting more strain than necessary on it or you have to spot it earlier - both things to avoid when learning how to make bows.
I use my vice to get 'floor' tiller perfect before ever putting a string on - that way you will find you aren't chasing your tail.
Making bows is a tricky one really, another paradox....you need perfect tiller to progress but how do you know what that is whilst still learning....

Arrowbuster · « **Reply #11 on:** June 15, 2016, 05:50:55 am »

Mike, you hit the nail on the head. I know I want to try for perfect tiller but my eyes still don't know what that is. I worked on her some more last night and she is coming around. I'm taking it very slow. I don't want to come in to low of poundage.

bjrogg · « **Reply #12 on:** June 15, 2016, 06:36:32 am »

One thing that helps me tiller is look for the spots that aren't bending, or are bending more than others. If you look at your picture you can see how bending out of fades but everything else stil quite straight. Nobody wants to miss target wieght but your better off getting your tiller good than having poor tillered high draw wieght bow because it will either break or develope set. A good tiller will make bow last and teach you to tiller. It can become a kids bow if if it has to but that's better than broken. Good luck keep going slow at it. I'm speaking from experience I broke my 1st bow not wanting to lower draw wieght when I knew it wasn't properly tillered.

Danzn Bar · « **Reply #13 on:** June 15, 2016, 06:41:59 pm »

Billy,
If your having a hard time seeing the bend or tiller....try using a straight edge (about 6" long) along the belly. I know a lot of people have asked me about using one and it works for me. move the straight edge along the bows belly when the bow is bent. The gap (between the straight edge and belly) will narrow where it needs scraping and it will get wider where you don't.
It does work and it helped me see the areas that need scraping. You want to end up with a consistent gap the length of limb...
Till next time ,
DBar

Knotty · « **Reply #14 on:** June 15, 2016, 06:50:26 pm »

@ArrowBuster , let us know how your tillering goes!

Primitive Archer