tiller check- please be critical- full draws & a "Manny" shot added

[Josh]

i think part of the reason it was tiring me out more yesterday was just the whole "new bow- afraid to really pull hard through my anchor" syndrome. it seems like they're always harder to shoot when you first start shooting them in (and in the back of your mind you're expecting a big BOOM!). anyone else notice this, or is it more of a rookie bowyer thing?

I have only been making them for a little over a year and I do the same thing!   I can draw them to 28" a thousand times on the tree with no problems but when I draw it by hand, I flinch the first couple of shots thinking it is going to explode or something....   Don't know why.  So far all the explosions have taken place on the tree.  Haven't blown one up by hand....................yet.     -josh

[OldBow]

Not many of forum members could do a better tiller than you have. Is this a laminate bow? wood on wood??

[mox1968]

lovely looking tiller ,the manny shot looks like you might have frozen your assetts off but great looking bow and pics too

[elk country rp]

thanks ohma & mox- it was a balmy 28F that day

Josh- maybe it'll go away after 200 bows.....  lol  i've had 2 break in my hand, a very anticlimactic hickory jumping out of my hand with a broken tip & a juniper that produced 9 different pieces & a small pile of splinters- including one 3" splinter stuck in the ceiling 

OldBow- thank you very much! it's hickory & ipe, my favorite combo- with quite a bit of design inspiration from Rich & alot of time shaping limbs before it ever got near a string (thanks, Manny). i'm a definite fan of thick backings on ipe now.

Rob

 

[Eric Krewson]

I guess I am the harshest tiller critic on the site,  some have accused me of being downright mean. I can't find a thing wrong with your tiller and think it looks as close to perfect as any I have critiqued so far, great job!

[Tractor]

Rob that is a stunning bow.  Can we see some more pictures, unstrung, belly and back.  I love how simple the lines are. 

And Eric's comments give me hope because I have sat here and stared at those pics and all I could think was that if there WAS something wrong with that tiller then I might as well give up ever trying to tiller a bow.  I swear I couldn't draw an arc that sweet with a compass.

Beautiful work

Mike