Help with new bow

[iowabow]

OK good info to know.   This morning I am going to cut the tips to Length and file notches.  I am also working on string alignment a little.  Tonight I hope to be finishing floor tillering.  I think this one is more in my skill level.   I counted last night and I have only completed 5 bows and one broke.  One has bad set from to much MC in the wood during building one is 40 lbs the other is 53 and I built a short bow from a failed long bow.  That only leave one other that I messed up on the handle so I have high hopes for this one.  Keep the comments coming I can use all the help I can get.

[BowEd]

Your doing fine.It's gonna be good one.For being such stubborn wood it sure does take heat bending nice don't it?Like the groping in the dark commetary.I know that feeling.Cool your gonna try tanning with the tannin from hedge.I've done that with oak bark on elk.It's a long soaking process,but it does make some very very durable leather.After the finished leather gets wet during use it comes out nice and soft with a little scuffing.The leather should take on a unique shade of color for ya.

[iowabow]

Thanks Ed, I. Just finished the handle and filed the notchs so tonight after hunting I will check the floor tillering and double check the side thickness.  Is there anything else I should work on before going to the tillering tree. 

[iowabow]

After 4 hours of very caerful thinning and double checking tapers and all I think I am ready to tiller.  Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[gstoneberg]

I don't see anything to worry about John.  That left limb in the pictures is gonna be harder to see the tiller on, but it looks like your in good shape so far.  Giver her heck.

George

[iowabow]

I will be tillering all day so check back if you can I will post more pictures as I go.  I will only do half of the tillering today then the other half next week to give the bow a chance to rest and equal mc if there are any differences in the stave still.  It is raining today the humidity is high is that a bad thing?

[BowEd]

You bet John thinks look good.Old hedge will come through for ya.Won't be long and you'll be hunting with that one and give your other bow a break....LOL.Do you burnish yours?Really brings out the fire in that stuff.Seems to become more evident as it gets older.Remember even bending throughout both limbs and even slow taper.Only when you have even bending of limbs do you check your distance of draw to your target weight.

[BowEd]

A little reflection on the builds' past.That old knot did'nt bother did it.LOL.I've got a hedge bow here that's had at least a thousand shots through it with a knot fallen out on the belly by the edge of the limb.I just filled it with sawdust and superglue and it worked.It has a ring over it too.Shot a buck with it this fall too.I did'nt want to tell you that and then you have your bow break...LOL.Old hedge is some very very forgiving stuff compared to other woods as far as I'm concerened.

[iowabow]

Thanks for the post Ed and for the phone call it helps to hear and read comments and things to keep in mind as it goes.  I am going to start working on it in a couple of hours will post more pictures around 3 my time.  Sure is nice to have a project to work on when you get rained out of hunting.  I have not figured out how to hunt in the rain with primitive gear.  Maybe I need one bow for rain hunting and a couple arrows made for rain.  Not sure how to do that. 

[iowabow]

Ok here are a couple more pictures and I am 1 more inch down.

[JW_Halverson]

As the guy said on his hunting trip to Africa, "Safari so good".

Not showing anything scarey yet, no obvious hinges.

[gstoneberg]

Looks good,.  I'd concentrate on the outer 2/3rds of both limbs and avoid getting it to bend too close to the grip at this early stage.

George

[iowabow]

Everything looked good till I looked at this picture.   The right limb look like it need something. I am done for the night so what would you guys do next. 

[gstoneberg]

Looks to me that the right limb is too stiff/bending too much inboard. The left limb looks good to me.  Work on the outer half of the right limb, then even them up before pulling much further.

George

[iowabow]

Thanks g.  I will give it a try in the moring.