Tillering Tree Build-a-long?

[Josh]

awesome.  I am gonna have to try that thanks Mike!    -josh

[oneeye]

So a-b is the length ntn  then c-d is the draw length minus handle thickness ?     Scott

[Justin Snyder]

I know some of you like ellipses, and that is all fine and dandy for you. However, I think putting an ellipse on the tillering tree is a bad idea. I don't like to use an ellipse because they don't fit a lot of bows. Some bows need an elliptical tiller, but some need more circular while some wont match any geometric shape. Reliance on an ellipse will eventually cause a problem when tillering a bow.

[El Destructo]

So a-b is the length ntn  then c-d is the draw length minus handle thickness ?     Scott

Thats the Concept..........Scott.......

Justin...by using the Ellipse in Paint...you can make it as Round as You like...it is not a Set Ellipse...the Point being that all you are doing is laying it out to follow the Bend of the Limbs to see how uniform they are...not laying out an Ellipse and trying to get the Limbs to bend to it...I have never made a Bow Yet...that this process has not help me...never hindered...but thats me...JMO

[Justin Snyder]

using the Ellipse in Paint...

Like I said, putting an ellipse on the tillering tree is a bad idea. 

Using a grid system will allow you to check for uniformity on both limbs without constraining you to a specific shape. Use your eye, or your computer or even a paper cutout if that is what floats your boat, to determine shape. For me there is no substitute for the eye just like there is no substitute for fine tuning a bow by shooting it. If you constantly rely on an ellipse, you will never develop the eye needed to tiller reflex/deflex, or bows with longer handles or heaven forbid a character bow.  JMHO

[Timo]

Justin, I understand your point, and I agree that there is no substitute for having and good tillering eye.
It's just another tool that "can" help those of us who choose use it. Seeing tiller is difficult for some,this does help some see what they need to see.

I use it some, but not always, As you said,tiller is different on any bow.

The elliptical program is different on any giving bow,ie/ length,If one was to apply this to a tiller tree, he would have to have a ton of different patterns to overlay. I thought it over alot yesterday and figured that it would be a major job.

As for the grid system....I just never could get used to seeing all those little squares.  ;)Makes me dizzy.  But I know it has helped many.

And as for character? I just finished tillering a vine maple that looks like a bad road. I used the pics and the elliptical program to help me see the tiller. It's decent.

[El Destructo]

                                                                             

[hillbilly61]

Got one built yesterday. Made it with the pulley system. I like the idea of a grid system. How would peg board painted white work?

[radius]

peg  board probably works great.   If it were me, i would use a sharpie to highlight a grid on the peg board, making squares of maybe 4" per side...

i'm glad to see you built your tillering tree.  I was just about to post the question, "Got that sucker built yet?"  I gave mine away to a new guy, Mar, last fall, and when i get home to Canada i'll have to make a new one.  They are pretty handy, amigo.

If you are new, make sure to read as much about the actual process of tillering so as to get the most benefit from your tree.  If you want, i'll write a couple paragraphs in this thread to describe how i do it, which i "think" is a pretty common practice. 

[hillbilly61]

  Thanks radius. I have the basics of the process and read allot. I'm building a red oak board bow. Have it shaped out; backed and am needing a tiller string now. I'm a plumber on call this week so it won't leave any time to do much of anything. When I get started I'll try to post some pics and ask for help and advise.

[Lombard]

You can see how I did the grid on this one. four inch by six inch rectangles, with a sharpie.

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[Justin Snyder]

Because the bow is longer horizontally than it is vertically when drawn I like the grid at 2" tall by 4" wide. I mark mine with a thin black line, then every other line gets darkened so I can tell exactly which lines match from one limb to the other with a quick glance.

[Diligence]

....I just had a thought, which might be completey ridiculous, but if you had a piece of plexi-glass, you could mount that on the wall behind your bow and then use one of those eraseable markers to draw your circles, or ellipse, or whatever....?

j