How much is to much?

[Arrowbuster]

The reflex in this is natural. I have been working on the floor tiller and just starting with the long string and doing this is making me realize its a lot. Should I try to take some of it out of the stave? It is Ky coffee tree.

[Eric Krewson]

I wouldn't, most of it will pull out when you tiller the bow and shoot it some. The only thing to look out for is the bow will fool you and convince you have too much poundage at first, go slow on the tillering or you will have a bow much lower in poundage then you want.

[bradsmith2010]

I agree with Eric,,

[bjrogg]

Yup what Eric said.
Bjrogg

[Nasr]

That reflex looks like it straight out of the handle which I personally don’t like too much  ( I am not good at making bows) so I would personally remove some of that reflex then recurve the tips. The reflex itself isn’t an issue for me it’s just that from my experience a lot of reflex from the handle causes a lot of issues for me. I would also rather heat it out then let the tillering take it out. The damage to belly when tillering it out is permanent. But I am assuming the heating doesn’t do that which I could be wrong about.

[Arrowbuster]

Thank you for the advice guys.

[ssrhythm]

Wouldn't it depend on the wood?  If it were osage, I'd leave it as is and do what Eric said...let the tillering and shooting in settle it in.  For oasge, the damage to the belly would be crushing of the cells and set which will produce a sweet shooting reflex/deflex bow in the end assuming a good tillering job.  I've never seen an osage bow's belly develop fatal damage.  I've never heard of KY coffee, other than what I get at the gas station when I drive through, so if it is prone to fatal belly flaws when overstressed, then what Nasr said sounds like the safer way to go.  Awesome looking bow so far.  Looking forward to seeing what you decide and how it turns out.

[PaSteve]

You're looking good so far. I just finished a lightweight Kentucky coffee tree bow for a kid. I would clamp your bow to a reflex caul, give the belly a good deep heat treat & take it from there. Probably a second heat treat near final tiller wouldn't hurt either.