Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Puckaway on August 22, 2014, 03:31:27 am
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I'm new here! I'm going to try to post photos so bear with me.. I'm working on a hickory stave right now. Its just starting to bend. It has a lot of back set on one limb. The other is nearly straight. I wonder what to do? Do I attempt to steam and straighten the back set limb or try to steam and replicate it on the straight limb? Otherwise if I just left it wouldn't that limb need to be tillered significantly weaker to get both limbs to bend evenly? I'm new to this... Well not really, but new to being close to something that actually shoots! Thanks guys!
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Ok it won't let me post pictures. Any ideas how? says to contact administrator or the picture is too big. I'm not a computer guy. never had a problem with my photos elsewhere....
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If it was your first bow I'd say just go for it and tiller it the best you can. If you've got a few shooters under your belt, spend some time and build a caul. All my bows have been going on the caul recently. It's much easier tillering a bow with even limbs, and say good bye to string follow
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Keep'er dry bud, keep'er dry...Make a caul and heat treat the snot outa that thing...It will pay off ;)
Don
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There are a few ways to reduce photo size. Just google it, or look on the how to section here.
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As has been said, get your limbs equal and heat treat the belly. It will be much easier to tiller that way. However, if you decide to proceed as is you will need to keep the limbs bending equally. If you start out with an asymmetrical profile stave. It will have to stay asymmetrical throughout the bend from unbraced to full draw. It can and has been done that way many, many times and if done correctly will perform just as well as a symmetrical "looking" bow. But it won't look as good and it is more difficult to get the tiller correct. Josh
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Right click on your pics, go to properties and see how big your pics are. If they are bigger than 640x480 you will have to make them smaller. I use Photobucket, a free online photo storage. You preset your Photobucket account to automatically reduce the size to 640x480.
Another option is to set your camera to the lowest resolution setting. That usually is 640x480.
If you have a heat gun you can reshape the stave so both limbs are the same.
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Ive never heard of a caul. I went to properties and couldn't find anything to change the size of the photo.
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You can't change the size from there, only check to see what size the pic is.
A caul is a form(2x4, 2x6 cut to shape) that you clamp the bow to to add reflex, recurves, a R/D shape or to help straighten out bends and twists with the use of heat.
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I understand. so heating and bending should be I order for this? I'm going to get some pictures up asap. I don't have a heat gun, but I could get one. How should hickory be heated? steam?
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Lets try this. here it is.
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Its been the cleanest piece of hickory I've worked so far. here is my other one at the same stage. I'm stuck here as well. The lower limb is knotty. When I pull a string down the middle it looks great if I were a lefty problem is I'm right handed. Flip the bow upside down and make the opposite limb lower limb?
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Looking good to me , keep going
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For now I'd keep tillering the bow until you can get it to low brace. You may not have to make the corrections until after that.
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If the limbs are equal length then do as you thought and just flip it to get the string on the correct side for you. That's how we use to do it before everyone started heating to correct...
looks pretty good so far.
Bob
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I would try to put some reflex in that other limb. I don't use a caul. I use my wood vice and dry heat.
I put grease on the belly and heat with a heat gun. Heat until it is too hot to touch. Then out the tip in the vice and bend it. Easy does it. You can always heat again.
Unless your rig something up to hold the stave in the needed position you will have to hold it until it is cool. Be creative :)
I usually heat the other limb but not bend it...just for balance.
Let it rehydrate about a day or so before tillering.
Jawge
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Puckaway, Here's a few pics of a very simple caul built from soft pine so as not to damage the thin rings on this stave...I used a heat gun and a series of clamps to attempt straightening this piece at heavy floor tiller. Like the character of your hickory and looks like a good start ;)
Don
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Any recommendations for the first one in the pics? the one with the big backset in the limb? That's a nice nearly knot free piece. I have a feeling the knotty one may turn out nice. I put the good one aside and got the knotty guy bending some.
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Thanks for the advice and visual ideas. I'm going to set up a form like that. progress will continue on the knotty one, and the nice clean one will continue when I get a heat gun and a form made. Stay tuned.
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I've gotten the knotty bugger to low brace height. I'm really not sure where to go from here. its so uneven. I've been using a gizmo a bit. those huge knots worry me. Any ideas?
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notice on my tillering tree the right limb sits much higher than the left one which is bending nicely. Should I just tiller the snot out of the right limb until it pulls the same length?
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First off, that gizmo thing is worse than worthless on a character stave such as this one. Save that for the straight and clean bows. As I said earlier, put symmetry out of your mind on this one. All those bits of character need to be reflected at brace and throughout the draw. This means that the deflex kinks will look like hinges and the reflex areas will look like flat spots when drawn. I think your close to understanding that already. I'm just confirming it for you. This is a really tough one to explain with just words. The character is gonna give you fits, but you can do it with patience. The two things that your looking for at this stage is that the entire limb is doing it fair share of the work and that the limbs are balanced. Meaning that your right limb tip is travelling the same distance as the left and vice versa. It's important that you get each limb bending properly before you get them bending equally. Getting the limbs to bend properly is always the hardest part on character bows such as this. Your brain will keep wanting you to make it bend in a nice smooth arc that is pleasing to the eye. Resist that notion the best you can. As I said, the character has to be reflected throughout the draw. I hope I didn't just confuse you worse. Josh
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Well said Gun Doc...Well said sir...
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The doctor has spoken now listen up!
He wont steer you wrong
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Like Josh said, I am also working on a bow that does about the same thing. One limb is straight and has no knots, one limb has deflex, knots up the wazoo and is 1/2 inche wide next to 3/4 inches wide as it snakes around knots. Tiller it like each side is it's own bow.