Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: WhistlingBadger on June 19, 2024, 04:02:32 pm
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Working a recurve with very narrow tips. It has slipped several times and popped upside down on the tree, which can't be doing the bow (or my nerves) any good. How does one secure the bow down so it doesn't pop out?
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A little clamp secures nicely in my tillering tree. It doesn't nees to be very tight.
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I use a small block of wood to create a “box” for the handle to sit in. I also use a clamp if necessary for highly reflexed bows or recurves on the long string. Hopefully this photo will help.
https://flic.kr/p/2pYnfVg
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Sorry for the extra photos. Not sure why that’s happening
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I use a small clamp but once it's braced the bow should balance on the tree.
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I use a small clamp but once it's braced the bow should balance on the tree.
Yeah, I'm not at brace yet. Just working on the long string.
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I find a bow can be prone to tipping on the tiller tree, if its reflexed or recurved and at low brace height. A small clamp as mentioned earlier will help, but getting it braced high enough usually solves the problem.
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Well, I don't, honestly. I never was one to follow the rules, and this is no exception. I put the string on the tree and pull the bow down. It's easier that way.
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Well, I don't, honestly. I never was one to follow the rules, and this is no exception. I put the string on the tree and pull the bow down. It's easier that way.
ya this is what i do as well for some builds. I built a contraption so I can clamp it down and pull up on the string with the belly side up. This will allow me to scrape the belly while its clamped down and get the initial bend looking good fairly quickly without taking the bow off and on during the process. after full brace i put up on the tree on the wall. I use a leather type saddle to cradle the bow handle then pull down on the string to get a different look and approaching about 3/4 of full draw on the tree.
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Well, I don't, honestly. I never was one to follow the rules, and this is no exception. I put the string on the tree and pull the bow down. It's easier that way.
What method do you use to connect the rope to the bow?
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I'm finding that simply wedging a piece or two of softwood lathe in behind the handle is keeping it pretty stable. Thanks for the interesting suggestions!
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I'm finding that simply wedging a piece or two of softwood lathe in behind the handle is keeping it pretty stable. Thanks for the interesting suggestions!
Yeah, that’s what I do - just jam a shim in behind it to keep it in place.
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I use this arrangement but have thought about using the same setup as Clay Hays which is a leather pouch that cradles your bow. I have to shim my bows when they are on the long string the keep them from rolling, with Clay's setup the bow can't roll.
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I use this arrangement but have thought about using the same setup as Clay Hays which is a leather pouch that cradles your bow. I have to shim my bows when they are on the long string the keep them from rolling, with Clay's setup the bow can't roll.
Do you have a link to Clay's setup, or remember the name of the video? I vaguely remember that, but can't find it.
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Well, I don't, honestly. I never was one to follow the rules, and this is no exception. I put the string on the tree and pull the bow down. It's easier that way.
What method do you use to connect the rope to the bow?
Well, I dont. I hold the bow with my hands and pull down while looking at it. Sometimes I will set my phone up to record behind me and I will kneel out of view and pull down then go review the video footage to get the answers I'm looking for.
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I don’t hold the bow down in the cradle - I let it sit lose so that it can rock as drawn and I can better sense positive/negative tiller. But ive found the best way for me to tiller is to get the bow to about 22” on the tree or rack and then hand tiller it from there by drawing by hand and taking pictures and using that.
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Here is the setup Clay changed to, at about 16 minutes into the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26GxYSfvZx0&list=UULF-eicAkiRdGLguiS1dS_N9Q&t=983s
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Eric, I like Clay's set up, but I have some theoretical issues, though I don't know if they are significant enough to dramatically affect the end result negatively. It would be hard to argue that he doesn't make awesome bows, it doesn't seem to radically change the final result.
The balance point on the tree is directly underneath the centre of the handle , and inline with the rope pull. The pulling point on the string is the centre, which corresponds to a 3under draw, which Clay uses. However, when he cuts his shaped handle at the end of tillering, I would think that this takes the balance point off centre and pushes it up higher, where the thumb rests.
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I have always done my bow tillering with my bow centered on the tree and pulling straight down like Clay does. I do the final tillering off the tree during shoot in, a little scrape here and there, shoot the bow, see how it feels. I always put an arrow rest on my bows and tiller to the rest. I shoot split finger and usually end up with somewhere around 1/8"-1/4" positive tiller on the top limb.
I use a gizmo to about 20" then adjust the bend in the fades and leave the last 6" of the limbs stiff. If I have a perfect arc on the limbs at 20" the rest is usually just dropping poundage while keeping this arc. I do gizmo checks along the way to make sure I don't leave the slightest stiff spot.
After a bunch of bows I can eyeball the tiller pretty well and see any anomalies when I put it on the tree.
We all do this stuff a little differently depending on how we started out making bows. There is no right or wrong if the outcome is a well tillered, good shooting bow.
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I have always done my bow tillering with my bow centered on the tree and pulling straight down like Clay does. I do the final tillering off the tree during shoot in, a little scrape here and there, shoot the bow, see how it feels. I always put an arrow rest on my bows and tiller to the rest. I shoot split finger and usually end up with somewhere around 1/8"-1/4" positive tiller on the top limb.
I use a gizmo to about 20" then adjust the bend in the fades and leave the last 6" of the limbs stiff. If I have a perfect arc on the limbs at 20" the rest is usually just dropping poundage while keeping this arc. I do gizmo checks along the way to make sure I don't leave the slightest stiff spot.
After a bunch of bows I can eyeball the tiller pretty well and see any anomalies when I put it on the tree.
We all do this stuff a little differently depending on how we started out making bows. There is no right or wrong if the outcome is a well tillered, good shooting bow.
Well put. I do very similar to this. Like you I do little scrape here or there to address issues while shooting in with pocket knife or card scraper. Sometimes I find with yew I’ll use sandpaper instead as it’s quite soft and very prone to chatter marks some some 100-150 grit works well. Little dusting when shooting in but works for me.