Longbow tiller help

[Gwynnin]

I've had to take a bit of an enforced break after doing something to my back while trying to get my first warbow strung. Looking back over some of my pictures I feel like I've been missing the boat a little on my english/medeival style longbows. They all look good braced, but drawn it looks like I'm getting a bit too much bend early on.

Elm longbow:
Untitled by gwynnin, on Flickr
Untitled by gwynnin, on Flickr

Ash #1:
Untitled by gwynnin, on Flickr
Untitled by gwynnin, on Flickr
snakey tip I was fairly proud of
Untitled by gwynnin, on Flickr

Ash #2:
Untitled by gwynnin, on Flickr

Please critique,
Thanks!

[Wiley]

Looks pretty good to my inexperienced eyes. Nice elliptical shape, no hinges that I can see,  nice evenly distributed bend. At full draw the bottom limb tip looks like it's bending a little less than the top one, but at the slightly less than full draw it looks pretty even to me. Probably just hand placement on bow and string being a little different from picture to picture.

Someone else more experienced with making the ELB might have something to critique about it, but the bend looks good to me, don't think it needs much help.

[WillS]

They look really nice dude.  Well done.  Possibly slightly too much bend in the centre if you're going for the traditional warbow shape as a goal, but I bet they're quick and smooth. 

That elm bow in the first pics looks stunning, actually.  I really like that.

[adb]

Are these two different bows? I'm guessing yes...

The tiller on the second one (ash#2) looks great. The tiller on the first might be bending a smidge too much in the middle, but it looks OK too. Nice bows!

[Del the cat]

Both look pretty fine to me.
I've applied the CD test and they are certainly close to arc of a circle, could maybe bend a bit more in the outer half/third if you want more eliptical.
The snakey tip one looks a tad stiff in the lower tip... but presumably that's just the snakey tip!
I'd be happy with 'em.
The certainly look like they are working in the middle which to me is right for a medieval style bow.
I reckon to get a bow like that from Ash is good... Its not my fave' wood.
Del

[Gwynnin]

Thanks!
The snakey tip was left a little stiff on purpose. The elm was much nicer than either of the ash bows, in terms of ease of getting a nice bow. I was quite happy with that one. Heat treated it, but it wasn't particularly required. The ash bows both had something like 3" of string follow before I heat treated them.

[mikekeswick]

Try trapping your ash...that's the key with it.
Del - an elb should be quite a strong elliptical tiller.

[Del the cat]

Try trapping your ash...that's the key with it.
Del - an elb should be quite a strong elliptical tiller.

I thought we were talking medieval/warbow rather than Victorian. Our only real reference is those Mary Rose bows which have survived to be drawn a decent way back on the tiller, and I believe they were arc of a circle tillered.
Del

[Pappy]

Don't know much about the tiller of a longbow,but them look great to me.Very nice.
 Pappy

[adb]

Try trapping your ash...that's the key with it.
Del - an elb should be quite a strong elliptical tiller.

I thought we were talking medieval/warbow rather than Victorian. Our only real reference is those Mary Rose bows which have survived to be drawn a decent way back on the tiller, and I believe they were arc of a circle tillered.
Del

I thought we were talking medieval/warbow tiller here as well, and I agree... more arc of a circle tiller. Elliptical tiller is for Victorian style target ELBs.

[WillS]

Unless you're celestino poletti.  In which case keep the middle stiff and straight until about... 31" into the draw...

[George Tsoukalas]

The tiller is very nice. Enjoy. Take care of your back. Jawge