Help with tiller

[DC]

I woulds be tempted to cut off the riser and start again with one about 12" long. You can always remove wood.

[Deerhunter21]

I am going to take the handle off this afternoon and start over with a 12" piece as you suggested. what wood should I use? should I work it with a rasp or cut the fade and then rasp or sand it?

Slimebob, I will try to answer your questions this afternoon as I am away from home. Thanks!

[jeffp51]

As long as both mating surfaces are perfectly flat and smooth, you can use about any wood.  You may want to consider several laminations, with the first couple being quite thin and bendable (1/8 -1/16 inch).  alternating colors of wood can look really nice, and if each lamination can bend a little, there is less chance they will pop off.  Here is an example of what I am talking about:

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=21080.0

Just make sure all your gluing surfaces mate perfectly, then glue up with a high quality wood glue, or high quality epoxy, or even a high quality SuperGlue (CA glue)

[SLIMBOB]

Your really new to this I see.  First, welcome to the nut house.  You have the desire and that is the first requirement.  Secondly you need as much knowledge as you can glean from the works of others.  TBB I is a great place to start in my opinion.  Some of the data is dated but all in all, lots of wisdom.  Ditto this forum.  You have the luxury of interactive learning from some of the best bowyers around.  Thirdly, you need the empirical part of the equation....the actual hands on practical doing it part.  The reading and learning from others part is invaluable, but the hands on experience, learning by experimenting is where it's at.  You've taken the plunge so let's see if we can teach you to swim as you struggle to tread water.  Let's look at those measurements and see if your design is adequate for what you are trying to accomplish.  Cangrats on the doing part.  Your building a bow while others are just dreaming about it!

[Deerhunter21]

this is the design that I used and its the same on both sides. I kept the parts that don't taper in the same length but I trimmed the bow down to 6 ft. Also the TBB ... where can I get it. I am short on money and my library doesn't have it. do you know anywhere I can get all 4 volumes for a cheap price? Thanks!

[SLIMBOB]

Is it Redoak?
1.5 inches wide at the fades?
72 inches tip to tip? (the plan calls for 67.5 inches???  You trimmed it to 6 feet?  Not sure I follow)

I will loan you my copy if you will return it once your done. If your good with that pm me your mailing address.

[willie]

what is your narrowest width at the handle and how wide is it at the widest?

 if you have shown us in the pic, it's hard to tell which pic may be thickness and which pic may be width

[Deerhunter21]

Here's me new handle. It's white pine. Sorry about the bad pic.

[SLIMBOB]

Can’t see much, but sounds like your headed in the right direction.

[Deerhunter21]

I got the rough shape of the handle. Im planning to glue wedges inbetween the space in the Handle fades and then sand it perfectly (or as close as I can get it) in line wth the bow.

[DC]

I'm not too excited about those wedges. How far is it between the red lines?

[Deerhunter21]

It's 8 3/4"

[SLIMBOB]

Got to get a good glue line. I don’t know about any kind of shim working. Sand and get a good joint. Might be able to clamp it enough???  I would try it anyway.  Anything short of a good glue line will pop loose I suspect. I’m a stave guy so I don’t glue on a lot of handles, so maybe someone will come up with another solution. But I don’t believe that will hold.

[Deerhunter21]

Thanks!

[DC]

I would do this(second red line) blending the handle in. I know it was me that told you to remove the old riser and I apologise for that  :-[but I didn't know that the belly wasn't flat and that you would end up with those gaps. Sorry about that. If you make your handle 3 1/2" it might gain you a bit.