Floor tillered staves.

[Half Shaft]

I have recently recieved my order of floor tillered staves.  My question is does this make me a hack?   I plan on making other bows in more real ways, but want to get going fast and would like to get tillering down as that is the action in which makes wood into a bow. 

Pretty simple to finish.   Tiller, shape handle and finish. 

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

If those a quality staves and you never used tools or tillered before,
I would still spend 10 bucks, go get 2 Red Oak 2X1's try make a coupple of bows, this will give you practice with tool, and looking at a bow bend (tiller), if they break it's allrigth, what you'll learn is well worth the price

[El Destructo]

What Manny said...if these are truly Stave Bows....and not Board Bows...I would definitely get me a Red Oak Board to do some Practice with tools on....and be sure that youcan make a Bow....Just because it is Floor Tillered.....doe this Mean you can make a Bow from it....there is still a lot of work to be done...and a lot of mistakes that can be made.....practice .....practice!!!

[shamus]

I have recently recieved my order of floor tillered staves.  My question is does this make me a hack?

not at all.

[Pat B]

If your intentions are to make a wood bow and the route you are taking will help you get to your goal, then by all means go for it. If you think that the floor tillered staves will help you get there , good! The most difficult part of bow building comes after the floor tillering. Take your time, ask lots of questions and post lots of pics. You have at your fingertips some of the best wood bowyers in the world and most are willing to assist you to achieve your goal.
   Later, you may wonder why you took this avenue but if it makes you feel comfortable and gives you the confidence to get started then this is the way you should go.    Keep us posted on your progress.     Pat

[ricktrojanowski]

I don't think so.  I made a couple from nearly floor tillered staves from Gary Davis.  I think it helps with the learning curve.  This way you can tackle the tillerng part of building  and gain confidence before you begin one from scatch.

[RAU]

No way does that make you a hack. Alot of people dont think bow building even begins untill you start serious tillering. Saying everything up to that point is just rough work, hogging off large amounts of waste wood, and i tend to agree. Good luck with your projects.

[sailordad]

my first bow was made from a purchased floor tiilered stave.

so no i dont think it would make you a hack. you can lear a lot about tillering going that route,i did.
heck after that one i aquired a hickory stave from a dude i met at our local ren-fest last year.well lets just say it didnt work out as planed.the back lifted at  a knot after itwas floor tillered and was working on final tillering.now i need backstrap sinew to try and repair it.

heck i still have 4 more purchased floor tilered staves and 1 purchased boo/hickory reflex/deflex lamination kit(s) to finish.
for b-days and x-mas this is what the wife and boys get me now,i dont have access to too many trees for making staves from and find these floor tillered staves toi be cheaper most times than purchsing full staves from places on line.
however i have found that most on here are more than fair on prices for the ones they are willing to part with,not to mention they are all good folks and are willing to give excellent advise on any bow related building regardless of what or where youve gotten your bow wood from.

so go with whatever you are comfortable with to learn from,eventually you will be looking for full staves not to mention full trees.

[adb]

A floor tillered stave is just a bow shaped stick! It's not a bow yet, and no guarantee that it will be. No... you're not a hack. Don't be so hard on yourself. I've purchased plenty of floor tillered staves.

[Pappy]

No you ant,that is a great way to get started,like has been said it ant a bow yet,that will be up to you,it's just a piece of wood for now,show us some pictures as you move along.We sold around
30 like that at the Classic and I can assure you there were no hacks there. 
   Pappy

[GregB]

Like Pappy said, getting a bow to floor tiller isn't that difficult. Basically laying the bow out, we then use a band saw to remove a huge amount of excess wood, then some rasping and scrapping to get to floor tiller. Each stage from floor tiller to brace to the tillering tree and final tiller needs to be accomplished with evenly bending limbs to prepare for the next stage. You'll have plenty of good experience ahead of you to complete a floor tillered bow.

[Mechslasher]

i'm sure even the indians traded for prepared blanks.  gary davis has some first rate wood that not everyone has access to.  i hate chasing rings so i'm sure i'llbe buying more from him in the future.  i can't tell the difference in the bows i made from his, or anyone else's, blanks or one of my bows i made from scratch.

[Postman]

After all the time I've put into the osage staves have  (1 almost to FT, 3 ready to layout) I'm very happy I went to Lowe's and learned how NOT to tiller 
with some red oak. I plan to get them close to floor tiller, then finish one at a time.