Has anyone tried Stim Wilcox´s midlimb curve tillering method?

[lonbow]

I recently bought the book "the art of making selfbows" by Stim Wilcox. It´s a really informative book.
Stim Wilcox tillers his bows with a midlimb curve, which means that the most bend takes place at the midlimb area. He describes that the midlimb area should bend first during the draw. At half or two thirds of the draw length, the fades should start bending and the tip region should only bend slightly at the last few inches of the draw. Stim Wilcox writes that bows tillerd with this technique are really efficient, because there´s less limb vibration.

So here´s my question: Has anyone on this forum tillered bows like that? What are your experiences?
I´m very curious trying this out, but I´m a bit worried that the bow could take more set than necessary.

What do you think?

lonbow

[DC]

Maybe accidentally. As much as I admire and lust after the Duoflex if you've quoted him correctly I don't like it when people say this part of the limb should bend first. More maybe but not first. When you bend a piece of wood as soon as you start bending it, it all bends. Maybe not much but it all bends.
My petty opinions done is the book still in print?

I just looked up the book, 2009, maybe a different Wilcox. My gripe about bending still stands though

[bradsmith2010]

it would really depend on the shape of the limb,, as to how it should bend,, no one size fits all

[PatM]

I don't really think it's possible for the limb to bend  in such a degree of stages. 

[willie]

it would really depend on the shape of the limb,, as to how it should bend,, no one size fits all

good point, Brad.

Stim Wilcox writes that bows tillerd with this technique are really efficient, because there´s less limb vibration

So what limb shape does Stim recommend?

[George Tsoukalas]

Mine start to bend at the end of the fades increase mid limb and the last 6 in with much less bend. Most of the bending is mid limb.
Is that what you mean, lonbo?
Jawge

[Badger]

  I have moved my main bending area up closer to the fades when I can get away with it and opt for outer limbs to be as stiff as I can get away with. If the inner limb starts developing a little set I am forced to get more wood working mid limb but I do try and avoid that as much as I can.

[lonbow]

Mine start to bend at the end of the fades increase mid limb and the last 6 in with much less bend. Most of the bending is mid limb.
Is that what you mean, lonbo?
Jawge

That´s exately what I mean.

Stim Wilcox writes that bows tillerd with this technique are really efficient, because there´s less limb vibration

So what limb shape does Stim recommend?

He recommends more bending in the midlimb area. He thinks that this prevents the limbs from slamming home at the same time. The limb rolls home instead, thus lowering hand shock.

I don't really think it's possible for the limb to bend  in such a degree of stages. 

Maybe accidentally. As much as I admire and lust after the Duoflex if you've quoted him correctly I don't like it when people say this part of the limb should bend first. More maybe but not first. When you bend a piece of wood as soon as you start bending it, it all bends. Maybe not much but it all bends.
My petty opinions done is the book still in print?

I just looked up the book, 2009, maybe a different Wilcox. My gripe about bending still stands though

I think you´re both right. It sounds logic that all parts of the limb are bending at the same time. But I think it might be right to say: At full draw, the inner limbs are bending more in relation to the other parts of the limb than at brace hight.

Yes, it´s the book from 2009. I don´t think that Stim Wilcox has written a newer book.

  I have moved my main bending area up closer to the fades when I can get away with it and opt for outer limbs to be as stiff as I can get away with. If the inner limb starts developing a little set I am forced to get more wood working mid limb but I do try and avoid that as much as I can.

Does this apply both for flatbows and for ELBs? Isn´t there a lot of potential for handshock? It´s always said that especially ELBs with too much bending in grip area are prone to handshock? Do you have advice for preventing this? Thank you!

[willie]

I don't really think it's possible for the limb to bend  in such a degree of stages.

So a lever/recurce, etc on the end of a limb doesn't have more effect near the fades at full draw than it did earlier in the draw?

Lonbow, my earlier question was about the width and thickness profiles that Stim recommends to make the bend you describe.

[PatM]

  When we are talking about selfbows, likely not to a degree that the material can cope with.

    It's more the statement that the limb will bend in steps.  If the midlimb bends first it would have to reach some sort of max bend before the fades started to move next.    That is likely to damage or break  that portion.   

[Badger]

   I thought about that statement on mid limb bending first etc. I think it might be possible that happens because as the limb bends string angle increases in that portion of the limb which would start to change the leverage to potions of the limb with lower string angles.

[willie]

...... string angle increases in that portion of the limb .....

Interesting idea, Steve. I had generally considered string angles to be advantageous to high early draw weight, and disadvantageous to getting a true picture of usable energy storage if the bow stacks at the end of the draw. In either case, one generally looks at string to tip angle, not string angles relative to different parts of the limb.

[DC]

I noticed this when I was messing with bamboo skewers trying to see if the levers on a Molle were bending yet. What I thought was a dead stiff lever was already bent a half inch in about 8". An other time I was gluing a cap on the belly of a handle. I had both pieces flattened on the belt sander and for some reason I braced the bow and tried to fit the piece on again. In 4" there was a .020" gap. That portion on the handle was 1 1/4" thick. It all moves all of the time.