I'm not going to get into this bow construction right now. The question at hand is the reflex built into the limb on one side . Where the other is straight. I am at the point where it is just now flexing on the tillering stick. So do I reflex the other side? Do I straighten the reflex side? Do I build it as is? Do I scrap it? I need all the help I can get, thanks in advance. John

Flexing on stick

I guess it's whatever you prefer Stoner. For me with a bit short of a draw in the first place I kinda like some reflex. Gives me more limb movement for my draw. I'd probably try to make the right limb like the left one. But you can make a caul to any shape you'd like. Of course you could leave it like it is but man that one is gonna play tricks on your eyes. I definitely wouldn't give up on it. Osage can be manipulated very nicely with a bit of heat. One like that I personally like to put on caul straighten, add a little reflex and heat treatment all at the same time. Bjrogg

That's awesome! I have plenty of bows with matching limbs. I'd make it the way it is.

I would reflex it to match, left limb has a nice shape. How hard are you pulling it to get the bend you are getting now?

Top photo has just enough tension, if any at all just to hold in place. The second photo is pulling hard to get a brace height. I am shooting for 55# though I have not put a scale on it yet. John

It actually looks like the limb tips are traveling about the same distance in the second picture.

It's gonna be cool either way! But that is a tough decision!

Up to you. I used to make them that way but these days if one is reflexed I reflex the other too.

If you choose to build it as is keep in mind that deflexed limb has to bend as much as the other one. Don't fall into the trap where the tiller has to visually appealing as it may not be.

Jawge

Keeping it as is or evening it up would depend on how serious I was about getting a solid bow from it. If you just want the challenge, leave it be and make each limb bend according to its shape. When you have 5-8# of draw left to get rid off, use that to get it balanced in your bow hand.

Jawge's advice is important. A smooth curve on a lumpy stave is wrong.

An aside: I would never finish up a handle until the limbs are done. You might need to use some of the width to get the string over the handle, and, if you mess up in tillering, you have wasted your time finishing the handle.

I agree with Jim. I almost never finish a handle until full draw is achieved. I also leave the nocks a good inch wide until full draw. I can explain if there is an interest. Jawge

Where did he mention anything about his handle being finished? Did I miss something obvious?

My biggest concern right now is that the bow is already too light. That string looks like it is pulled down about 24".

"Where did he mention anything about his handle being finished? Did I miss something obvious? "

Only the photo.

It appears to be joined billets.

I appreciate all the advice. I am now leaning toward leaving as is. The straight limb has a knot close to the tip and might not want to cooperate when I try to reflex it.

This is the stave on the right when I split it. You can see the built in reflex next to the hatchet. John

Stave is now on the top. this darn picture rotation thing is as bad as auto spell check. Anyway the handle was cut due to me trying to heat the propeller out and force the string to bisect the handle. Thanks again John

Hope this explains the handle. Thanks John

She's going to be interesting Stoner. She's going to have one very funky looking full draw as is with that unbraced profile. Look forward to seeing it. Bjrogg

So let me see if I understand this.If you have one limb that reflexes say 1 1/4" and the other is straight.When you tiller you try to keep the re flexed limb bending an inch and a quarter behind the straight limb?

Sort of. I don't go by measurements. I replicate the bow and string hand fulcrums as closely as possible on the tillering tree, then adjust the strength of the limbs so that the arrow nock comes straight back. If it comes straight back relative to the archer's holds, it will move straight forward for him upon release.

In such a bow, each flexing limb will be judged/gauged only by how IT looked previously... not by how it compares to the other.

I use the limb with more reflex as the top limb.

What Jeff is describing is what I have started calling "dynamic tiller", and I learned it from him.

The way the bow looks at brace is really inconsequential. As he stated, what matters is the way the bow behaves when the string is drawn and released relative to the archers grip and finger placement on the string.

Ideally what I want the bow to do when I turn loose the string (and Jeff may agree) is nothing. I want it to sit right in my hand as dead level as I can possibly get it to.

I appreciate all the help guys, but I'm getting a little frustrated with this stik! Now it wants to roll in my hand to one side. Not enough to roll out, but about 10 degrees. So I'm putting it up in the rafters with the other staves. To be continued .......some day.

So I started looking at my stash which is not as large as it once was. When I left Michigan I sent a member here home with two pickup loads. When he came back for the second load he brought me a piece of KY red cedar, one hackberry (which Failed), one mulberry. I kept a couple pieces of osage, which is where I did this one that's in purgatory right now. I do have some Oklahoma osage that I just cut and split in March. So that's a no go right now.

Osage with LH curve

Osage RH curve

straight

Mullberry

Mulberry

Mulberry RH curve

Are these pieces that curve to one side able to be made into a bow? Do I cut and splice? Or heat and bend straight? Thanks in advance, John

Not sure what others will say, but the Osage I'd probably try to straighten with heat. I haven't done a mulberry yet but have heard it's a close relative of Osage. I've heard lots of good things about it. I have several staves curing now. They look like yours. I'm not saying that you couldn't cut and splice. Might be your best option. Just saying I've been amazed and impressed by how nicely this Osage straightens and holds its shape. Hope some others give their thoughts. Bjrogg

Wow, that's a serious bend.

I'd remove the bark to be able to assess it more clearly. Then if I thought it could be steamed and moved into alignment, I'd reduce it enough to do so, and go for it. If I thought it needed cut in half and spliced together straight, I'd leave it wide enough to go that route.

It's a judgement call, and hard for us to make that call with a couple of pictures.

Very challenging stave, Stoner, but you will learn from it. I learned on similar staves and I learned from them in my early days.

One step at a time. Let us get it strung with the short string.

Sorry but that tillering stick makes me shudder. I'd go to a rope and pulley asap.

Back to the stave you are trying to tiller.

I like to long string tiller out to 10 inches looking for good limb movement and target weight. Then I string it with the short string at a low brace of 3 inches of just clearing the handle.

What is good limb movement for that stave can be tough. Everything has to move even deflexed parts.

From what I can see in your second picture everything is moving acceptably but the last 10 inches of the right limb are not. You have a knot there so I would scrape up to the knot ,leave it alone and scrape beyond to the tip just to get it moving a bit more...just a bit.

Then check weight as I described above and string it.

There are build alongs on my site.

http://traditionalarchery101.com

Jawge

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