Tiller check

[dratera]

Would appreciate it if you guys who actually know what you are doing, could give me your opinion on the tiller on this one. It`s Wych elm, 77", aiming for 100 pounds. First time making elb style bow, first time making bow in ages, and have never made anything over 50 # so this is all pretty scary. Its braced low and I dont dare pulling it more than about 70 # atm. Does it look ok? If so I will man up and pull harder






short video of it being pulled here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnAgiORxqog

[Dances with squirrels]

In order to properly judge it where it is, we need to know where it came from. We need a picture of it unstrung.

[dratera]

Thats true, here are some more pictures, from unstrung to about 18" draw










Bonus pic: forgot about checking string alignment until now, and its completely off , almost outside the bow. Guess I`ll have to try bending one tip with the heat gun. But was planning to give it another heat treatment with pine resin when tiller is finished, do you think that will make corrections to alignement i do now creep back or will it stay? 

[Danzn Bar]

Well I'm out of this one because I know nothing about a 100# bow. I'll just sit back an watch and learn....
DBar

[dratera]

Same here    but i have some doubts it will be that heavy when im finished screwing with it 

[Springbuck]

In order to properly judge it where it is, we need to know where it came from. We need a picture of it unstrung.

SO MUCH WISDOM!  Also, usually a front profile pic, but in this case we ere told ELB.

Good luck!

[Springbuck]

How hard are you pulling it to get that 18"?  If 100 Lbs is taking it that far, do the heat treating and alignment now.

[willie]

Guess I`ll have to try bending one tip with the heat gun

wouldn't you want to straighten it where it is the most bent already? just bending a tip might not be the way to go

[Springbuck]

  This is all so got so far, but don't pull it too hard on the tree.

[dratera]

Thanks for the feedback willie and springbuck, that picture is really helpful. Think it looks pretty good, maybe bit stiff in handle area?  It was about 70 # at 18 inches, so it`s maybe already underweight. Took your advice and did the heat + resin and alignment now. It was bending at an even curve to the right so I bent each tip just a bit in the right direction, looking straight now. Now I`m off to make an exact copy of one of the tips to practice putting on horn nocks 

[TimBo]

I would leave the handle alone for now - it should be a bit stiffer than the rest of the bow and will bend slightly for the last few inches of draw.  I don't know a lot about war bows and pure ELBs, but I believe there are two schools of thought on this - what I said, and more bend in the handle (full compass?).  You can always make it bend more later very easily, but if it bends too much in the handle now, you will end up with a lighter bow, or one that is uncomfortable to shoot because of hand shock. 

[BowEd]

 .Good post.I'll be watching even though at the time here I really could'nt shoot a 100 pound bow myself.

[dratera]

Cheers timbo, I`ll leave it. Agree on the handshock, think I will try to make it slightly whip tillered instead of the other way around. Leaving it to rehydrate for a while until i get the horn nocks on. Just checked the diameter of the tips, and they are pretty thin, 14.5 mm thick  x 16 mm wide , and not getting thicker for a few inches in. Been reading that the hole drilled in the horn nocks should be 16 mm, but that will be too wide for my tips. Guess i could make the hole just 13-14 mm but that might break the tips?

Not sure if I can pull 100 either, been skipping gym for half a year. But if I manage to finish it at 100 and find out I cant draw it, at least I have some motivation for getting my lazy ass back to the gym