So I'm about done tillering my first attempt at a hickory selfbow. I have already learned some things I would like to do differently on the next one, but working on this one has been a blast. Anyhow, I wanted to get some input on the tiller from some the many eyes and minds greater than mine on here! Thanks in advance!

And a photo-bomber!!

Now that he has pointed it out.... I can see what runner is looking at, but my hat is off to anyone who can take on a project like that when there are small children in the house.

Just sayin'

Good job Tye, I'm almost to tillering on my 1st hickory selfbow, still heating out some unwanted kinks in her. Should be tillering in a couple of weeks, hopefully. Yours looks pretty good so far!

Runner is right, unless the stave has natural bends at those places. Let's see an unbraced photo.

As said above. Also, consider leaving the last 6 inches with little to no bend. Good things you've done (that most of us didn't on first try), are getting it bending out of the fades, and having pretty darn symmetrical limbs. I got a feeling that #2 will be awesome. You're starting on a good curve!

TBOZ, congratulations on your first. Such a good feeling!

I can see the hinge on the left limb near the tip and out of the fade.

I can also see a flat spot on the right limb mid limb.

Jawge

Thanks guys! I agree with the above mentioned hinges, although the one on the left limb tip is due to a natural bend that you can see when unstrung. The upper limb has taken about 1" of set and the lower limb about 2"(partially that knot and bend in the last 8") I was thinking about using a heat gun to put those Lim tips hack in harmony and then cleaning up the tiller some. What do you guys think? I also have a decent amount of propeller twist in the lower limb but it looks much better when strung, should I try to fix that? This is a picture of it unstrung....

I think you did great,bending right out of the fades robs cast remember that for the next one.Great job.LOVE the photobomb.

good for your first one, ,the tiller needs some fine tuning,, getting the limbs to work more evenly takes pracrice, yours could work more in the mids ,, that being said, if it does not break, and shoots well,, I would call it a success,,

It would not hurt anything to heat and flip the tips. I would also induce a little reflex along the whole limb. The heating (drying) and reflexing may add some weight, giving you room to adjust your tiller without losing too much weight. Just give it about 24 hours after reflecting before you start bending it again.

Good for a first bow.Don't let the Tillering get to ya.That improves with practice .Be proud of your work cause you now have a bow that didn't exist before.Hey you shudda seen some of my first attempts.I would be too embarrassed to post Picts of my work. OSR

Better than my first try, for sure.

Same here OSR:-) My first bow only bent in the last 15" of each limb;-)

Whether or not you decide to put heat to it, scraping the mid limbs will even out the stress and prevent more set. You will lose a little weight, but gain longevity.

I would flip the tips and clean up the tiller with the extra weight you get .

looking like it is going great. a lot better then can do.

After you build a few bows you realise that the trick to good Tillering is to take it slow .Look over every stage as you scrape away the offending wood.I take a few breaks and get back to it after the frustration clears.You will however still get difficult staves and when you learn to overcome the special problems that difficult staves present you become a better bowyer.I myself can't think of any other way to speed up the learning curve most of have to go through.The better bowyers here will probably agree with me on that.These folk are about as good as you can get and jawge has a wonderfull site well worth a visit .Just keep doing it cause it will get a lot easier.You have done the hardest bit.You actually built a bow. OSR

Thanks for the input and kind words guys! It exciting to see the bow come to life for sure. I want to invest some more $ into a few hand tools for the next one. I did this one with a hatchet, stanley sure-form rasp and kbar knife (used like a drawknife). Anybody got any good recommendations if I was to spend $100 or so to add to my small tool inventory?

You've got a pretty busy area for a background which may be causing us to see some hinges that are not there though I do think that left limb tip is bordering on a hinge at the tip. Not sure about the right limb tip.

Anyway, the way to fix a hinge is to mark a big x on it and leave that area alone. Remove wood from above and below with a scraper.

I do see a flat spot mid limb in the right limb. Use a scraper.

As for heating areas already weakened by flat spots and hinges, I wouldn't.

Shoot and enjoy your bow and forget about set until you get some more bows finished.

You know what I say.

"Set happens."

Jawge

ferrier's rasp. scraper of some kind. that and your hatchet makes the complete bow making tool kit. (thats all I have ever used.)

Msturm

I have also used a KA-BAR but it is worthwhile to get a purpose made scraper and a regular file to sharpen it and turn a burr on the edge. A vise helps for that and with padded jaws can hold the bow while your work if you support the tip. The same file can be used to draw file the limbs in the late stages, to smooth them out. I also get a lot of use from a little Stanley 1" finger plane.

You might as well do some more scraping and heat on that bow to perfect the tiller. Then to raise the draw weight back up you could pike the tips (shorten them) or back the bow with sinew. - lbg

Learn as you go, start on another!

As for tools my aray of tools is a hatchet a draw knife a block plane and a flat bottom spoke shave and probably the best a curved bottom spoke shave A knife some good files and rasps.To the horror of the great bowyers here I love my angle grinder with a course flap disc.I shape 90% of my bow with it.I do scrape but lots of times its with broken plate glass.Depending on the specie of wood I generally chase the ring on the back with spoke shaves and scrape it .I then will remove the sides and belly with a flap disc.I usually get to the slack string stage and then use spoke shave and rasp to start final shaping and rough Tillering.Final Tillering I take it slow and do most by scraping and a little spoke shave work.Pick up your tools up gradually at garage sales and on the big web site You don't need them all at once.Indians did it all with stone tools once apon a time. OSR

Looks great for first bow. Arvin

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