Long string

[DC]

It's not a big effect(that I've noticed) so I wouldn't sweat it, just so you know it happens. On the bow I just mentioned I was out to 23-24" before I noticed I was still on the long string and I still managed to bring it around. You could possibly use a turnbuckle in your string but it's just more shrapnel. Del uses a washer(I copied him) and just loops the string threough it to get it a s short as possible but you can't change the length while it's under tension.

[Pat B]

Willie, by the time I get 6" to 8" of tip movement and everything looks good I am at a point that I can brace the bow. This is usually about 10# or so over my final draw weight. If low brace looks good I go to regular brace height and continue on with final tillering. Generally at this point all I'm doing is reducing draw weight.
txdm, I try to be sure both limbs are bending even and together, not just the inner limb. I generally save the inner most part of the limb until last and then bring the bend back into the fades. I like my limbs to bend right up to the handle and I like to feel the handle area give just a bit as I hit full draw.

[DC]

I was surfing through the Archives and found a picture of Marc's Bracing Board. It is a 2x8 with a few holes for pegs drilled in it. It looked like the deal for arthritic old guys. I was just wondering if you put the pegs in the final position you wanted or if you started on the low pegs and worked your way up.

[bradsmith2010]

I have never used a bracing board, ,,but sounds like a great idea for reflexed bows,, Im gonna check that out,

[DC]

Picture is worth a bunch of words

[willie]

Willie, by the time I get 6" to 8" of tip movement and everything looks good I am at a point that I can brace the bow.

Thanks Pat B

If it seems like I ask this question a lot, well, it's because I do. I have been curious about just how close to finished weight different guys floor tiller or longstring before bracing. As an experiment, I tillered my last bow such that half the desired finished draw weight gave a tip deflection of 6". With the bow then braced, and without any further adjustments to tiller, full weight brought the bow to 25" draw. I will admit that doing this does not leave much room for any final adjustments, but I feel that having never pulled enough to create damage during tillering has something to do with getting the best string tension at brace of any bow I have made yet.

One thing that I must mention is that I use as short of a longstring as possible, as tight as I can tie it, without bending the bow. This actually gives more tip deflection than the same weight on a longstring with droop. I just went back to the tree to verify this difference, and found when working with a the bow cited above, and using a longstring with with 16" of droop, that 40% more weight is needed to get the same deflection, at least on the finished bow.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I don't leave the floor until its safe to brace it with at least a 1-3" brace. Otherwise everything I see on a long string is pretty much false, that's my way of doing. 

[DC]

but I feel that having never pulled enough to create damage during tillering has something to do with getting the best string tension at brace of any bow I have made yet.

I've seen this sentiment quite a bit on here lately(I'm not pickin' on ya Willie)
Does this mean that "exercising" the bow on the tiller tree is not such a good idea or does "never pulled enough to create damage" just refer to don't pull over the draw weight?

[willie]

well I would venture to say that exercising before the bend is as even as possible, could be detrimental. there is that non-visible kind of compaction that happens before it shows as set.

I am hoping that others with more experience will comment. I will have to shoot the bow a couple of thousand shots and see what has changed, to be sure myself

I never hold very long, and a fresh piece of wood will last longer if treated nicely, and everything wears out eventually.

I do suspect that giving a stave a hard pull on a long longstring or floortiller may overstress the center portions of a bow in progress.

[BowEd]

Willie, by the time I get 6" to 8" of tip movement and everything looks good I am at a point that I can brace the bow.

Thanks Pat B

If it seems like I ask this question a lot, well, it's because I do. I have been curious about just how close to finished weight different guys floor tiller or longstring before bracing. As an experiment, I tillered my last bow such that half the desired finished draw weight gave a tip deflection of 6". With the bow then braced, and without any further adjustments to tiller, full weight brought the bow to 25" draw. I will admit that doing this does not leave much room for any final adjustments, but I feel that having never pulled enough to create damage during tillering has something to do with getting the best string tension at brace of any bow I have made yet.

One thing that I must mention is that I use as short of a longstring as possible, as tight as I can tie it, without bending the bow. This actually gives more tip deflection than the same weight on a longstring with droop. I just went back to the tree to verify this difference, and found when working with a the bow cited above, and using a longstring with with 16" of droop, that 40% more weight is needed to get the same deflection, at least on the finished bow.

Knowing the type of wood your using helps a bunch with floor tillering to short string even tiller within 5#'s of draw weight.Right width/length etc.Not knowing will lead to an underweight bow a lot of times too.Taking your time during these stages and keeping the wood inside dry helps a lot too.Making a fine bow.In the end the bow will have to do it's job.Shooting many arrows and long brace times.

[Pat B]

Long string tillering is just another step in the process. Floor tiller first, then long string, then low brace, then full brace, then work out to full draw. The sooner in the process you get both limbs bending evenly and together the easier the tillering process becomes. I never pull past ultimate draw weight but I exercise from early on and every time I remove wood.

[txdm]

So far, my biggest mistake was seeing the stiff outer limbs on the long string and tillering until they curved nicely... When put on the brace string they went too far and it took a set, of course. doh!

[George Tsoukalas]

dxdm, how far did you long string tiller? Jawge

[BowEd]

So far, my biggest mistake was seeing the stiff outer limbs on the long string and tillering until they curved nicely... When put on the brace string they went too far and it took a set, of course. doh!

txdm...And you don't want the bow to look like a braced bow totally on the long string.Just so they bend evenly still looking a little stiff in the outer limbs.Refer to what Mike said.Suppose you found that out now as you say.Good floor tillering will reveal the true bend of your limb more so than the long string.Since pressure is applied to the limb the same way more so like being drawn than on the long string.

[bradsmith2010]

the last bow I made had alot of reflex,,
I could not go from floor to low brace,, and hit my weight,, just not strong enough to get it strung,,
I had to tie nocks below the cut in nocks and pull it with a long string to get it strung,,
(hadnt discoverd the bracing board)
so I pulled it with my make shift stringer and got is low braced and lt looked pretty even,,
I think the main reason it was close,,, is experience,, I have made so many bows that that I got the taper even enough that it braced up pretty nice,, sometimes that is the formula , lots of experience,,,, and hard to put into words or draw a picture,, on the more challening bows,, you just gonna get better with more experience, and its slow coming but you will get there,,