Hinge Help

[Cade]

I'm working on my first bow and have got it to about full draw and I can't tell if there is a hinge or if it is just the big not in the upper limb making it look that way. I would like to keep the knot stiff so I don't know where to remove wood to stop the hinge. Thanks in advance for all the help.

[bushboy]

Midlimbs, both sides,the right fade is quite overstress and. The left inner. Limb has a hint of. A hinge also.the left outer limb looks stiff

[Cade]

So how should I relieve stress on the right limb? I would like to compete a bow so I'm not really concerned if it comes in under weight. I'm just not sure where I should remove wood.

[wizardgoat]

Is do some scraping on the left limb, mid limb and out. The right fade isn't a hinge, but it's for sure "hingy". I'd say you should get that knot a little more in the mix too

[wizardgoat]

What wood is it? What's your intended draw length and weight and where is it at now?

[bubby]

First off don't draw it that far till you get the tiller straightened out, the belly of that knot from what i can see should be flat not bulging out, you have a lot of work getting the left limb balanced with the one with the knot work the mid limb where the knot is use a gizmo or a short straight edge, with that stave tiller should be close to even at brace, exercise the limbs after you scrape the limbs to about 15" no more till it's balanced out, but get them balanced out

[Cade]

Thank you, I'll do that Bubby. The wood is hickory and tapers 2 inches to I think 3/4. I'm hoping for around 40# @ 26.

[George Tsoukalas]

Leave the hinge alone. Mark a big x there.
What I would do is give it a few scrapes just before the knot. Exercise at very short draws like 10 inches tops. Don't draw much past that until you get that hinge fixed. Catch that left limb up as you go along.
Use a scraper.
Jawge

[H Rhodes]

Don't fret over that knot so much.  That portion of the limb has to do its share of the bending too.  Scrape that belly in that whole area of the knot and like wizardgoat suggested, get it working too.  Hickory is durable stuff.  You might could get a gorilla to tie it in a knot, but it probably won't break on you.

[bradsmith2010]

I agree with making the knot area work more and scraping the left limb

[Cade]

Thanks guys. It's really helpful to be able to ask questions like this because I haven't got my tillering eyes yet ( hope they don't take as long as my sea legs did  )

[Chief RID]

Hey cman3. Have you got any further?

[Cade]

I have done some work on it but not a lot. If I get some free time later this week I'll post some pictures of my progress.

[George Tsoukalas]

You chose a difficult stave to learn on. That's kind of what I did years ago.
It will teach you.

The first thing I learned was the best way to fix a hinge is not to get one though I told you how I fix hinges in a previous post. Remove small amounts of wood and leave the power tools alone until bow #6. Go a little beyond the target area with a pass or two or three.

Watch the knots. The area before and after the know should bend a little  but the knotted area should generally appear flat to the eye. I learned that the hard way.
Jawfe