Narrowing limb tips

[Fred Arnold]

At what tillering stage do you normally start fine tuning your limb tips? I've never used tip overlays mainly because the wood hasn't needed them and I like things without all the bells and whistles.
Now I'm pondering a static recurve and not sure when to induce the curves and overlays.

[SLIMBOB]

At floor tiller for me.  The limbs are thin enough to bend easily and you begin tillering with the final profile. That's when I put the overlays on as well. I have done both later, but I don't think that's ideal IMO.

[wizardgoat]

I don't fine tune my limb tips or handle until its nearly finished being tillered. My tips never bend, so narrowing has no effect on the tiller. And I also don't want to spend time on overlays unless I'm 99% sure the bow will survive.
I've been boiling in my hooks at floor tiller, but make sure both limbs are the same thickness as each other. I like to make my tips an inch wide and 5/8" thick. Boiling makes them bend like butter, and very few tear outs

[Pat B]

I basically do as wizardgoat does except I've been using dry heat for recurves but I may change to steam for bending recurves.
 You don't need overlays for recurves unless you just want to.

[Del the cat]

I wait until the bow is bending a good deal, say 20" or so and the string line has settled down and any alignment issues have been taken care of.
A bit of extra tip width is always handy and I won't finally slim them right down until it hit full draw and I'm tuning up the bow.
Del

[bubby]

If you wait till it's at full brace and about 18" you shouldn't get any "suprises"

[Fred Arnold]

Thank you gentlemen. I'm working on the first bow I ever started that's been sitting on the rack for at least 10 years. I screwed it up to begin with and decided to get some experience under my belt before having to turn it into firewood.

I'm looking at a short osage sleeve takedown bow knowing I'll probably not get to my draw length but am determined to get a finished bow out of it.

With only 55" NTN would working or static recurves gain me the highest draw length?

The left limb has some deflex that I'm going to try to heat out tomorrrow on the form trying to get it to match up with the right/top limb.

[Del the cat]

Neither!
If you want maximum draw length the IMO keep it simple, no reflex of any sort, whole limb working (except last few inches where there is virtually no leverage). In fact I don't see that it needs any correction either. A bit of deflex is, after all. added draw length. (mind I still can't see any real deflex... looks good to me.
If it comes back far enough you can always flip the tips later... heck you can glue on levers if you like .
Don't get distracted from your aim of a working bow with maximum draw length.
Del

[PEARL DRUMS]

I floor tiller, then add overlays, then narrow then right down to almost finished size. 

[Pappy]

Pretty much like Pearl on my tips,I may leave them a little wider until I am finishing it up ,but not a lot,and what Del said on the one on the tree.
   Pappy

[PEARL DRUMS]

I fully intend on everything I build staying together, so doing work like this right off the bat doesn't bother me a bit.

[Fred Arnold]

PD, I may add some and do like you say.
Del, I guess my description of the concern wasn't accurate. With a 28 1/2" draw the short bows usually create finger pinch even on recurve bows under 56". In fact I traded a great little 54" Hi-Speed to Mullet a couple years ago for only that reason.
Since this is the first stave I ever acquired and started I'd like it to remain a keeper and not just to hang on the wall but to shoot and hunt with.
So my question should have been is it possible to attain at least a 28" comfortable draw with the length I have to work with and what would be the best tip design to accomplish that affect?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Some guys leave them wide for alignment adjustments to. I use heat for that.

[Fred Arnold]

These I left   5/8" for now. Tip alignment is great but I wanted to wait "just in case". Something always seems to go wrong when I jump ahead of myself.  That's why I'm asking so many questions. I've ruined more bows than I've broken and by ruin I simply mean being impatient, getting in a rush and not thinking things through. I'm that guy that cuts twice because I only measured once. Then I end up with excessive set or under weight, etc, etc, etc. 

[Del the cat]

Actually you could splice on a 2 or 3" stiff tip at a slight backset angle to give you that extra bit of length and avoid pinch.
I did something similar as a save on a experimental bow a while back, it can be blended in nicely with a bit of curve as a static recurve tip.
Del