Tillering Question

[wvarcher]

     Would a flatbow take less set if you begin tillering with the limbs only 5lbs over intended draw weight?  Of course, you need that 5lbs to make tillering corrections and to allow for the drop in poundage once the bow has been "shot-in".  Seems to me, this approach to tillering would lead to less set because the limbs are not strained nearly as much as they could be if you started tillering a bow 25lbs over your target weight.

[Pat B]

You never draw your bow over the intended final weight or beyond the intended draw length. You tiller to that weight, remove more wood and tiller to the weight and so on until you hit your draw length and weight together.

[wvarcher]

     So, you believe, it does not matter how heavy the limbs are once you begin to tillering?

[sailordad]

when you start to bring a stave to floor tiller they are as stiff as they are ever gonna be and your just
removing mass to make them bend
and like pat said you never want to pull it beyond its intended draw weight while tillering,or draw length while tillering.
you will obviously have high draw weight and low length at the beginning,you are just trying to get the weight that you want
to meet the length that you want and maintain proper and even tiller
there clear as mud now

[George Tsoukalas]

There are buildalongs on my site. When I'm done with long string tillering the stave is 10-15# over intended draw weight.  Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[DCM]

IMHO, any bow will take less set if you never pull it any farther than you have to, until the tiller is perfect.  I estimate where my bow weight should be at a given draw, allowing 2#-3# per inch.  I allow about 5# to 7# for the set it will ultimately take during breakin as well.  So if I want a 50# bow, I only draw it to 40# @ 22", 45# @ 24", etc. during the tillering.

[Pappy]

Unless everything is just prefect,and with wood it never is 5lb over draw weight won't be enough
to bring it into tiller.If you start at 5 over it will almost be a guarantee you will come out with a bad tiller or way under weight.
   Pappy

[wvarcher]

Thanks for all the replies!  George, it's about time i visit your wonderful site again.