Ash Warbow

[William M.]

Hello everybody!

I am trying to make an 80# ash Longbow, but since I am a beginner and this is my second try I feel really nervous tillering it. My first attempt with Black Locust didnīt go well(I cut all the growth rings on the back) and now I feel really uncomfortable tillering this one.  I would like to ask you what you think about it and maybe some of you experienced Bowyers can give me some advice. I would really appreciate it. 

Thank you.

Measurements right now: 72 inch long, 36mm wide and 34mm deep on the handle tappering to around 20mm


Here the video of my tillering, but I am not sure where the weak spots are: https://vimeo.com/519715852

[bownarra]

Looks ok but you need to pull it either further to 80# or simply remopve wood everywhere if you are already pulling it to 80#.

[RyanY]

Make sure the thickness taper is even by feel with your fingers. That will tell you more at this early stage than trying to visualize a small amount of bend on a stave with character.

[William M.]

Thanks for all the tips 

I heat treated the belly before so I gonna have to wait a few days I think, till i can start tillering again

[Del the cat]

Make that tillering string shorter... it should hang down no more than 6" absolute max... shorter the better.
Del

[William M.]

Thanks for the tip, sir! I didnīt know that. Gonna start tillering tomorrow again I think. Is waiting 2 days after heat treating enough?

[bownarra]

Yes it will be fine to work on.

[William M.]

Okay thanks!
Another question since I am using a 16 Strand string for tillering. Should I use a stronger string for 80+#?

[RyanY]

Should be fine. The problem I ran into with my B50 strings was that they stretched a ton on heavy weight bows.

[Del the cat]

Thanks for the tip, sir! I didnīt know that. Gonna start tillering tomorrow again I think. Is waiting 2 days after heat treating enough?

Overnight is fine.
Del

[Del the cat]

Okay thanks!
Another question since I am using a 16 Strand string for tillering. Should I use a stronger string for 80+#?

That's fine for a Tillering string... most force on a bowstring is when the limbs slam home at the end of ashot... which doensn't happen with a tillering string.
Del

[William M.]

Thanks!
Still feeling anxious tillering it since the last one exploded 

Gonna aim for 80#, with a nice tiller to have at least one success feeling 

Gonna try to use a 16-18 strand B50 string

[William M.]

Been tillering for the last couple of hours, bending till brace hight now at around 100#.

Can I low brace it with a 16 strand too?  Or should I use a 18 strand?

[willie]

you are aiming for 80# finished weight? your choice of final draw weight should not exceed whats possible based  on the dimensions of your stave. your 36 mm dimension stated earlier may well be ok for the proposed 80#, but not for more. I don't know myself, as I do not know much about the ash you are using.

during tillering, a lot of guys make it a point to never pull over intended finished weight. this advice is especially prudent for beginning bowyers.

even when you reduce some more so that 80# gets the bow to brace height, that does not mean it is time to brace.  early bracing often causes a bow to be overstressed.   at that point, you might try to shorten the string to the "as short as possible condition" until the tips are brought back to 8 inches or so (pulling 80# of course), then up date your video. we like pics

now is a good time to trace an outline of the back of your rested stave.  it will be useful later to compare with if the bow takes some set in the later stages of tillering.

[William M.]

Thank you very much willie! I was getting "overmotivated  Yes I should stay at the 80# max. as planned.

Here are some pictures from today and a video tillering. This is after heattreating the belly. I was slowly taking more and more away, but still in small steps. Maybe I gonna finish tillering in a month or so haha



The video: https://vimeo.com/520426850

On the left side itīs uneven, first I thought itīs a knot but it isnīt. It seems thick from this side but on the other side its thinner because it has a light twist on this limb. Not quite sure if itīs a weak point or not.