Who on here makes their bottom limb shorter?

[PEARL DRUMS]

If your bottom limbs alone are weakening its not a result of where you handle is being placed.

[Carson (CMB)]

In billets to bows, Glen St Charles describes his method of making the lower limb shorter.  This is on yew long bows.  With the center of the bow in the center of the handle he tillers the bow with even bend in both limbs, once he has it tillered symmetrically to full draw, he cuts 1 1/2" off the lower limb and viola, perfect tiller on asymmetrical bow. 

Glad you started this thread Toomanyknots.  I have been trying to wrap my head around the whys of a shorter lower limb.  I think it boils down to balance in the hand, like Gordon mentioned.  Good balance in the hand equates to better "point-ability" of a hunting weapon.   Makes it quick-on-the-draw.

[vinemaplebows]

I shoot three under, I have always felt the lower limb takes more abuse...so it is always a bit stiffer than the top limb. As CMB mention St. Charles BILLETS TO BOWS which was one of my first books, and followed his example.

VMB

[killir duck]

i've alway made both limbs the same which make the arrow pass about 1 1/4" above center, i've never had any balence issues. i think that really just depends on the wood and your shooting style

[Pappy]

I do about like Killer Duck,I lay them out[most of the time] even from the center of the stave,then after tillering I will shoot it and then decide where the arrow pass goes,I move up and down a small amount till I fine the sweet spot for me. Never had a problem with balance in my hand,I hold on to it when I shoot anyway.
I truly don't think it makes any different. I think the bottom limb gets more stress when stringing it more than shooting it. I usually go 1/4 to 3/8 pos.[stiff] on the bottom limb,I don't quite understand why making them even would help keep the bottom from getting weaker over time if you are having that problem. 
   Pappy

[Jodocus]

Not that I could tell from experience, but I try to make the bow so that the point where my (slightly open) hand presses onto the wood is in the centre of the bow. This is usually way above the center of the grip. It's more where my index finger touches the thumbs palm. The lower part of the grip is just where my other fingers find space. So the arrow will pass just about 1/2" over that center, shot off the nuckles.

Lately I try to just shorten the handle, since it doesn't even have to accomodate my entire hand. Actually I think 2" would be entirely sufficient. That way, the lower limb doesn't get that much shorter.

And one thing: I find it just plain ugly if the arrow is placed way into the upper half of the bow, especially on shorties. Just a matter of taste, but important to me.

[Marc St Louis]

Never on stiff handle bows

[toomanyknots]

I do about like Killer Duck,I lay them out[most of the time] even from the center of the stave,then after tillering I will shoot it and then decide where the arrow pass goes,I move up and down a small amount till I fine the sweet spot for me. Never had a problem with balance in my hand,I hold on to it when I shoot anyway.
I truly don't think it makes any different. I think the bottom limb gets more stress when stringing it more than shooting it. I usually go 1/4 to 3/8 pos.[stiff] on the bottom limb,I don't quite understand why making them even would help keep the bottom from getting weaker over time if you are having that problem. 
   Pappy

I do about the same thing usually just to make sure the bow is balanced before I do the handle and arrow pass, but for the most part I lay the bow out symmetrically, and place the arrow pass about 1/2" or so above center. This ends up making the ideal arrow pass close to the center of the handle alot of the time. Which is probably not ideal,  . This is one of the reasons I like cord wrap handles. It makes things more simple for me, as I can basically nock the arrow pass where ever the sweet spot is as you call it. But it's weird with me. If I draw a typical recurve draw, with a anchor point around the bottom of the chin or so, it seems like it stresses the bottom limb a bit more. On bows that I draw like this, I seem to need a stiffer bottom limb than usual. Where as on a bow that I draw across the chest, it seems to stress the limbs more evenly, and can get away without having either limb overly stiffer then each other. This is what it seems like to me anyway. That is a good point about stringing. But for the most part, if I don't use a stringer, than I string my bows in front of a big mirror to make sure I am stressing the upper limb more for this reason. Most of the time, what I will do when tillering a bow, is check with a fist melee on each limb and balance each limb until the fist melee is almost perfectly even, with maybe one side being no more than an 1/8" of an inch lower, and alot of time I try to get them closer than that. Than I will determine by drawing and shooting in the bow, which actual limb is stiffer, and make that my bottom limb. So I guess I lay my bow out symmetrically, and tiller darn near symmetrically too,  . I have been thinking of trying a more positive tiller, but aesthetically I just don't like it. My OCD just won't let me for some reason, haha. I have heard that on a bow with a shorter bottom limb, positive tiller is not always necessary in order to have a balanced bow? Is that true? I have a question for everyone. If you were going to lay out a 60" bow with a 4" non-working handle, and make the bottom limb shorter, how exactly would you personally do it?

[Shaun]

I lay out the bow so the handle is slightly below center.  Better balance, tiller 3/16 positive. For 3 under shooter I tiller even but still keep same lay out. When I lay out bow on stave the first thing I do is find center line then decide which is bottom limb.

[George Tsoukalas]

No, I don't make the bottom limb shorter. I do what Pappy does. Jawge

[SLIMBOB]

Almost never.  I think as Blackhawk said above, that if it gives you a longer workable bow blank, makes sense.  As a general practice, I don't see a big benefit.  I do what Pappy does.

[adb]

Never on stiff handle bows

+1

[BowEd]

I've made the top limb longer on some and don't see a diff really.Most of my arrow passes end up 1and3/4" above center of bow.Grip is mostly centered on bow.1/8" to 3/16" positive tiller.

[crooketarrow]

  I use to build some bows with stiffer bottom limbs and some with shorter bottom limbs.  Now I mainly build stiff handleD,equal limb bows tillering the same for a good 15 years. I have never had anyone return a bow that needed retillering. And I've shot some of my bows 10,000's of thousands of shots. So I can't see building anything other than EQUALLIMB BOW'S,WITH THE LIMBS TILLERED THE SAME.
  I LIKE THE EVEN LOOK WHEN TILLERS FINISHED.

[Pappy]

I have made a few that way,just simpler the way I do it at least for me.The ones I did ,I just found the center of the stave and measure from center ,say for a 64 n-n
31 inches from the center to the tip of bottom limb and then 33 to tip of the top,then lay out the handle from the center line,that will give a 1 inch shorter bottom limb,if want it more than an inch just adjust the measurements. You will need to decide top and bottom limb at that point,with and even limb I usually get it to low brace and see how it feel or if it favors one side or the other and then decide on top and bottom,if nether suites me I will adjust to make it suite me with heat.  If you are using good seasoned wood/moisture is right/tiller is good/and is treated right when braceing it you shouldn't have much trouble with the tiller changing at least I don't. 
   Pappy