my latest little hunter 50" hard maple (50# @ 26)

[Sidmand]

pff, that bow is horrible, you should send it to me immediately for proper disposal   

Looks great Rich, really does. 

I'm going to email you in regards to your string there - I have been wondering for a long time as to whether I could make a bow string from artificial sinew - seems like you already are doing that so I want to get some pointers on that as well. 

[half eye]

I threw the mic to it and this is what I came up with:

thickness:  center= .460   mid-limb= .445   tip below the knock= .362
width:   center= 1.155    mid-limb= 1.02   tip below the knock= .705

rich

Thanks doc, at least I aint got to go out into it

[wizardgoat]

Cool looking how rich , I was always led to believe bows that bend too much in the handle don't shoot so great. How does this one shoot?

[adb]

I threw the mic to it and this is what I came up with:

thickness:  center= .460   mid-limb= .445   tip below the knock= .362
width:   center= 1.155    mid-limb= 1.02   tip below the knock= .705

rich

Thanks doc, at least I aint got to go out into it

So, as I suspected, you don't have very much taper, either in thickness or width, hence the final tiller shape. Can you please explain the center out tiller thing?

[half eye]

adb, imagine the center 10" of the bow a rectangle 10" x  1.55". I started my thickness taper at the outside of the 10" (5" each way from center of the bow) like it was a rigid handled grip fade, and kept scraping the taper to the tip untill I had my draw length at my mid 40's weight and the tips did not open up. That is what I was trying to say. Normally I start from the limb tips and get all of it bending as I slowly work in toward the center rectangle. Once I have my 1/2 circle I will tiller the entire bow to draw weight and maintain the angle of thickness taper. hope that answers your question, sir.

sidmand, fire away bud.
rich

[half eye]

sorry wiz, typin while you were. I agree absolutely. I probably should have just gone shorter and wider, to solve the skin issue. But the bow's wood was not damaged too much (Ibelieve) because of the amount of set, that with the stiff tips has it shooting acceptably at my range of 20 yrds and under. For my desired "thick stuff bow" it is acceptable to me for it's purpose. It shoots very accurately and as well as most 40's bows.
rich

[adb]

adb, imagine the center 10" of the bow a rectangle 10" x  1.55". I started my thickness taper at the outside of the 10" (5" each way from center of the bow) like it was a rigid handled grip fade, and kept scraping the taper to the tip untill I had my draw length at my mid 40's weight and the tips did not open up. That is what I was trying to say. Normally I start from the limb tips and get all of it bending as I slowly work in toward the center rectangle. Once I have my 1/2 circle I will tiller the entire bow to draw weight and maintain the angle of thickness taper. hope that answers your question, sir.

sidmand, fire away bud.
rich

If my math is correct according to your figures, you have .098" of thickness taper. I just can't see how that's going to allow you to achieve some even bending.

[PatM]

It basically makes two long barely bending levers working on a 10 inch central limb.

[adb]

Or a 10" long bow, with very long tips.

[willie]

I have been looking at the Steve Alley drawings of native american bows and have been wondering why so many of those traditional bows were tillered this same way? Certainly the native americans were not concerned with the same things we are today, but what advantages did they realize to their designs?

[adb]

All the native American bows I've seen were very simple affairs. Roughly made, but certainly effective. Take a stick, tie on a string, make it bend, make an arrow, kill a deer. Job done. No offense to anyone, but perhaps it was a matter of not knowing, or more likely not caring. I doubt "perfect' tiller was much of a concern. As long as the bow held up, spit out some arrows, and was strong enough to kill, job done. I guess what I'm really trying to say is, they probably didn't know better.

[ajooter]

Very even tiller for sure.  Very close to a circular tiller even without trying for that particular tiller shape.

[---GUTSHOT--->]

That's a sweet bow and the skins are awsome looking also loved those rattlers at the end. 

[Swampman]

This is a sweet looking bow.  I find your description of how you tillerred this bow very interesting as well.  Thanks for posting that.

[ajooter]

Well besides the tips being flipped of course.