A little tiller help please

[k-hat]

Ok, so this is my first 3" heat tempered reflex bow.  My virgin eyes are havin trouble with tiller.  I did the initial tiller to about a 5 inch brace, pretty much perfect (had absolutely zero set at this point  ), before i did the tempering and reflexing.

After a few days of rest, here she is, A LOT heavier i must add:





So, it looks to me like there's too much going on at the fades/inner thirds and not enough at the middle and outer thirds.  Or is this the way a reflexed stave should look initially?

Any help from the more experienced eyes is greatly appreciated!

[lesken2011]

To me, with my limited experience, the left limb looks pretty good, so far. the right is a little stiff at the inner 1/3 from the fade to catch up with the left.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Your too old to be asking for tiller help still!

Your tight in that right fade area for now

[k-hat]

Hey, take it easy!!  I'm venturing into uncharted territory here

Thanks les and PD.  I can see that now.  It just looked awfully flat, but i have to remember that they had to bend to get that way even.  Looking forward to finishing this out, I think she'll be sweet!

Thanks again guys!

[PEARL DRUMS]

With no extra deflex added and only reflex your bow will should have a classis straight bow shape while bending, with stiff tips 6-8" in or so.

[SLIMBOB]

What's the front view profile?  The length?  Bendy handle?  Looks to me as though the bow may be canted to the right a tad in the photo.

[k-hat]

Sorry Slim, shoulda included that!  Not bendy, parallel bout half of limb length then tapers to the tips.  68".  It is slightly canted, forgot to put my shim under when taking the pics.

Ok, thanks Pearl, that helps a bunch.  I'll have to tiller a little at a time over the next week, I'll post her when she's done

Thanks again!

[SLIMBOB]

Parallel limbs at that length would call for a more elliptical tiller.  I would lay off the fades and get the limbs bending mid limb.  As Pearl said, the reflex shouldn't effect the tiller profile much.  Most of my reflex is added near completion and on some, after the bow was finished.  Point is the tiller profile had already been established.

[mikekeswick]

Parallel limbs at that length would call for a more elliptical tiller.  I would lay off the fades and get the limbs bending mid limb.  As Pearl said, the reflex shouldn't effect the tiller profile much.  Most of my reflex is added near completion and on some, after the bow was finished.  Point is the tiller profile had already been established.

Exactly!
Never forget that the front profile is what determines tiller shape.
Just go slow. It's coming along well.

[k-hat]

Ya i feel like a dummy now, shoulda known all this even though there's a new element for me.  It's coming along nicely, i did some work on it this morning.  The extra time in tillering to brace before i heat treated worked wonders.  Still haven't lost any of the reflex, now out to 16" with the short string.  Gonna low brace her next.  ( i actually tried already, she braced nicely, but when i left the garage for a couple minutes and came back evidently the string stretched just enough to lay tight on the belly!).  Anywho, superstoked about this girl.  Thanks again for answering my dummy questions

[SLIMBOB]

Your bein' too hard on yourself.  Your bow is pretty impressive looking at this point.  You posted pics and looked for help as opposed to ...well, not getting help.  Your not so far along that it can't be dealt with.  Worst case, at 68" you got a lot of wood to work with.  I've made a bunch of these over the years and my Bow IQ still falls somewhere in the retarded range.  Post more pics.  Good luck.

[k-hat]

Alrighty, I think i've bout done the majority of tillerin, whatchall think?  I've got her to 23" in this one, gonna finish the last bit in the hand. 



Looks like i'll come in at weight or just under.  I may give'r another temper session and flip the tips out a touch.  I know I've got room to pike her as well to pick up the weight.  I'll put some short draw arras through and see what she says.  If she's zippy enuff, i'll prob just pike and/or flip the tips. 

50# enough to kill a hog?  Never done it so don't know, but I hear the hide is tuff stuff.

[lesken2011]

I've killed a couple. Both with 2 blade heads and a 57# bow. One was a young one (pig) a complete pass through and the other, a much bigger one (200# or so) I hit a little high trying to miss a smaller one in front. Spine shot, it dropped it like a rock. I think if you don't hit em too far forward or high in the "shield" area, that a good sharp 2 blade head should be OK with that weight.

[k-hat]

Thanks Kenny, that's good to know.  I'm making this one for my boss, and his family has some property with plenty of pigs to stick, and that's what he plans to use her for