bow layout question

[jeffp51]

I have been watching Weylin's video about laying out a vine maple bow ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZIZBWzbrQ ) and noticed he offset the handle section from true center by an inch.  How many of you do this? Is it just to get the arrow pass closer to true center?  How does it affect the tillering?

[Del the cat]

Often the arrow pass is 1" above the geometric centre. It is on my longbows and warbows, though I sometimes make primitives with equal length working limbs.
It's all down to a bow being asymmetric. The arrow is always above the grip, so if the arrow pass is central then the grip is below centre and if the grip is central the arrow is above centre...
1" above is a reasonable compromise although you can make a bow with almost any configuration of limb lengths.
Tillering by supporting the bow where the weight will be in the hand and pulling from where the arrow will be nocked helps to give a tiller that will look right in use.
del

[Dances with squirrels]

I haven't seen that video, but I prefer to offset the handle center and bow center by 3/4 to 7/8". This balances the bow in my hand on my middle finger, and means I can keep the bow center (static balance point), and the dynamic balance point in virtually that same place. It also means my string hand fulcrum is a fraction of an inch away from them too. Combined, they make for a bow that moves from the side up to a pointing position at any degree of cant as readily as the index finger. I makes for a bow whose fulcrums don't slide under the hand during the draw, and one that is easier to tiller for relative limb balance early in the draw, and throughout, because I don't have to deal with a moving fulcrum.

[George Tsoukalas]

I have but don't always. Depends. I've tried them all. Off set, center, center with fades different sizes.

Mostly, I put the handle in the center and shoot 1.25 in above or so. Depends. Nothing is fixed.

http://traditionalarchery101.com/archer.html

Jawge

[Pat B]

When I started building wood bows the typical method was to make the so the handle sits that from 1 1/4" above and 2 3/4" below the center of the 4" handle making the lower limb shorter than the top limb, asymmetrical. I and many others make our bows with the center of the handle at the center of the bow, symmetrical.  I find a symmetrical bow easier to see proper tiller but it doesn't matter how a bow is set up if it is tillered properly for it's style.

[FilipT]

You can simply offset where you pull on tiller so that you get asymmetrical bend throughout correcting the tiller profile. My tiller tree is bolted to the wall and my lower pulley is 1" to the right of center line underneath the saddle where I put handle. So I put whatever type of bow on center in center of saddle, but pulley pulls 1" to the upper limb (right limb). Does that make sense? I could put pictures.

With this method I don't have to make positive tiller at the end, lower limb slightly stronger and upper weaker and what not. I got that during tillering by itself.