Maple with Walnut Handle and Tip Overlays****Completed

[Greg Felty]

How much of the thickness did you take off with the band saw

[Jamesh76]

A pencil squiggle is a good reference to evenly remove wood. I mark a wide spot to remove. For the nocks point I measure down 1" and go to a 45. I use 2 blade thickness of a hacksaw blade to start my marks using my thumb as a guide to stay on the line. Finish off with a chain saw file. Make sure to not cut too deep with the hacksaw blade its just making a guide for the file.. I do both sides and line them up the best I can. Then round the edges and sharp points with sandpaper. I use thick strings so my depth is 3/4-7/8 the diameter of the file. Next I put on the long string. You can use a tilleeing strung with a loop on one end and bowyers knot on the other. I just use old.bow strings. In this case, I didn't have one which would be tight nock to.nock, so I untwisted a old string. Your long string should be tight but not bending the tips. I work the bow 40" at each inch on my tillering tree to compress the cells etc. You do not ever want to pull past your intended draw weight or length. The long string just lets you look at the limbs as they bend a little making adjustments if needed. Often when you go to a short brace then brace height where you will start tillering, the limb will appear to bend differently. Break time, I have some Bourbon calling my name. Questions ask away. One of my current struggles is evaluating stiffness at floor tiller to not be too weak in the limbs I won't hit my goal weight. This one I would like 40#@28". As of now, I believe I can hit it. Won't be able to tell until about 22" of tiller after brace. Make sure to round the corner on the back about the same radius as a Pea. I leave the belly flat until I'm almost done tillering then round them and all other edges.

[Jamesh76]

How much of the thickness did you take off with the band saw

I made marks for my thickness taper at fade,mid and tip, i.make a line connecting each. I stay 1/8 or so outside of the line. Then rasp or plane to lines prior to starting floor tiller.

[Jamesh76]

In that last picture, you can see my nock.depth was off. I seen some slight twist while on the tree. I cut it out a little more. Now, if yourngettung close to.final tiller and have some limb twist if ita not bad, its fine to leave. However if you want to try and correct it looking down the limb with the bow at brace height, you remove wood on the side of the limb you want the string to go towards. You can also deepen the string groove but I don't have any experience with that.

[Jamesh76]

I forgot to mention placement on the tree. I marked up 1.25 inches from center tree for the shelf. I place this mark in the center of my tree.

[jaydee2trad]

you rock James, awesome job of explaining and great pics. wish my garage was heated lol. Gotta keep the wife happy.

[Jamesh76]

This one is rough. As you can see there's. Slight hinge on the left side under the B on my.borax box. This limb is already weaker than the right. To fix it, I have to remove wood on each side of the hinge. I also need to reduce the whole right side. See the angle.of my string at brace. It goes upwards on the right indicationg a stronger limb. Your line to your pulley will also track towards the trigger limb from.the center of your tillering tree.

[Jamesh76]

Its getting better. Still a slight hinge on the left. Its currently 26# s 16". I have 12" to go and you usually get about 2.5# per inch. That doesn't give me alot of wiggle room to hit 40#. It will all come down to what I have to do to get the left limb and hinge working. If you get a hinge, you get some set regardless on that limb.

[Jamesh76]

I got the tiller worked out a bit more this.morning. it's currently 38#@26". I don't have to heat treat it but I like the coloring on the limbs. This will likely change my current weight @ 26# and I will have to back up and tiller from about 24" on depending where weight is. Remember don't draw over intended weight. I use shortening to rub kimb so heat spreads better. You want to make sure all the oil is scraped off during retillering or use alcohol etc. and a rag. I use the side of a 2x6, you don't want much heat getting ton the back of the bow. I made a stand for.my heat gun and use a block.to raise it if needed. I like it 4" or so above the wood. Heres my set up. After its heat treated the wood needs to rehydrate a few days. During the wait you can shape handle and tips as well as make a string but don't flex the limbs.

[jaydee2trad]

I like your heatgun set up. I didn't know if the heat would cause the nock tips to unglue. That bow weight would be just fine with me if mines ends up like that. the hinge looks a lot better. should be a beautiful bow. hopefully it will be a decent shooter for you. on my recurved tips, I should leave them thicker, correct?