The REAL Challenge in Bowmaking

[koan]

Well...I got something that sucks worse! Just helped my bud Tugboat tiller his first bow....we long string tillered till the limbs were bendin even, then put the short string to it and it had about an 8" stiff spot on one limb. I had him scrape a little more on that spot while I was tillerin another bow, leaving him alone to do his own thing. 5 min. later we put it on the tillerin tree with the scale to see where it was at.....after exercising the limbs a few times we pulled it to 50#s @ 28.5"....he wanted 50#s @ 29"!!!! How unfair is that!! I didnt even get to see him struggle with it like the rest of us, lol....and to top it off this bow is a hammer..took a little set, but it hammers an arrow! That just aint right, lol.....Brian

[adb]

That's why it's such a good hobby, hey George!!!

[Shooter_G22]

Wow !

    reading this thread has really helped me understand the tillering to wieght process alot!!!   i had no idea how i was suppossed to accoplish this... and this thread kinda really gave me a good direction....   thanks !!!     i mean at least i know how to try and accomplish a targeted wieght now... and now its just trying to actually do it.. is going to be fun... but i really got a pretty good understanding of how i can attemt to do this... thanks...

that is why i love this board!!!   i take all this advise and absorb all this knowledge as best i can...  i really think that all this advice and all your post are priceless..  i feel very fortunate to be amongst such great people... and i as i read all your threads advise and experiance,  i some times feel like im hanging out with friends shooting the shit and talking about bow making... its great..

thanks!!!

and thank god for this site!!!! 

[JackCrafty]

Jack I don't think very many of us do things exactly the way we recommend all the time.

I actually think it is harder to build a lightweight bow on purpose.

I really didn't find anything easy about making bows.

Wow....really?  Hmmmm.  Definitely food for thought.

[jamie]

like gordon and eddie i also have a tough time getting to lower weights or for that matter higher weights. im just used to building them for the weight i want. i do know my tiller has become much better since i stopped using steel tools and tillering boards. the stones can remove as much or as little as i need giving me the time to really view the tiller as i bend it over my knee. viewing from the knee has really allowed me to see the wood work.

[Far East Archer]

I really didn't find anything easy about making bows. LOL. Jawge

indeed Jawge 

I agree with Gordon, making light weight intentionally is rather troublesome.

After while, as all say, you get used to how hard bend equals weight.
now I dont even use tiller tree or scale. Just bend limb until it feels right, then I brace and tiller using mirror.
Works most time and tiller looks great.