Need help with tillering

[Eagle Eye Eli]

Hey guys,  I need help with tillering.  the bow is a hickory self bow 64" long 63 NTN I'm shooting for 40-45# @ 27" 35-40 would be OK too.  I've attached some picture on the photo bucket site I hope y'all can get to them.

Thanks

Eli.

http://photobucket.com/eliseo

[nickf]

rigth limb needs some more bend at the inner 1/3 of the limb, the left limb needs some more bend at the inner 1/2 of the limb.

Goodluck! keep posting pics while you advance

Nick

[FlintWalker]

It's sitting a little crooked on your tillering tree. You might want to straighten that up.
   I think you should stay away from the area circled in red. I see a slight hinge starting there.  Give it a few light scrapes in the area underlined in green on the left limb and work both limbs a little where they're underlined in blue.
 I would also go ahead and brace it to about 5". No need to continue any farther with the long string.  You've got the tips moving about 6", that's enough to brace it.

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[Eagle Eye Eli]

Nick and Saw filer,  Thanks for the advise, I wasn't able to post anything last night had to go to work.  I'll post some pics this afternoon.

Saw filer,  I braced the bow as you suggested but only to 4" any more than that, and I felt that it would begin to crack.  I will work on he spots you outlined for me.

Thanks

Eli.

[FlintWalker]

When you get around to working on it, just barely scrape the green area.   You might even just scrape the blue and then see how it looks first.

[Eagle Eye Eli]

Saw filer,  just added new pics. I've labeled each limb so i don't screw it up. It's now braced to 5" and I weighed it at 20# @ 13" lower limb looks like it needs more sanding towards inner side?


Eli

www.photobucket.com/eliseo

[FlintWalker]

You should have no trouble making weight as of now.
 If it were mine. I would scrape the areas underlined in green and absolutly stay away from the areas circled in red. As well as the outer limbs.  They're bending enough.  If you continue removing wood from out there, you'll end up very whip tillered.
  You have lots of limb down near the fades that's not bending very much.  To help minimize set. You should get the inner limbs bending more.

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[Eagle Eye Eli]

Saw Filer,   Cool, will post soon.


Eli

[Eagle Eye Eli]

Saw Filer,  Last posting of the day,  I did as you suggested did lots of hand sanding and took some more pics.  Both limbs look balanced now, you directions have saved me from lots of heart ache(really cussing up a storm).  If this bow turns out as I hope it will,  it will be given to a coworkers grandson.  Currently the bow weighs in at 30#@ 15".  The pics will be on photobucket.

Thanks
Eli.
http://photobucket.com/eliseo

[FlintWalker]

She's looking good.  I'd work the inner limbs and get them bending some more.
  Then I'd start easing it back a little farther.
  When I tiller one I usually pull it till I hit a couple pounds below my target weight or till I see something wrong with the tiller.  I don't do it all at once, I just work up to it. I usually pull it to a given length around 20-30 times and if the tiller looks good, I go another inch and repeat.
 Any time you remove wood, be sure to exercise it several times so the change will show up.
 Keep us posted

[knightd]

Looks like you are in good hands..

[Eagle Eye Eli]

Saw Filer,

 It's been a week since I last worked on the bow, I had the day off today and so after working on "helping" my son on his science project I had a chance to work on the bow.  I mounted the bow on the tillering post, and saw were it needed sanding. I have been using (60) and (100) grit paper this whole time so it takes awhile.  As you can see I now have it drawing 38# @20" so here the deal I'm starting to get nervous now because every time I exercise the bow limbs I get the feeling that their going to blow.  At first i thought that i might have a limb that was getting a propeller twist but as i continued to sand they bow and smooth out the handle I discovered that the handle was now beginning to bend.  This is as far as I ever been in making a bow without it breaking on me. This is a hickory self bow and it's only 1 1/2 " wide at its widest point going down to 1/2 " nocks.  I have read and reread TBB1 tillering about 6 times now.  So I think I now have an understanding on this is supposed to work but dang I don't want to mess It up now.  Any words of wisdom would go a long way to help me finish this bow.  As in the past I have added new pictures to the photobucket site.

Thanks a whole lot

Eli.

http://www.photobucket.com/eliseo