Need help from bowyers

[Lone Bonobo]

Hi,

I've been making a yew selfbow and hit a problem.
I've tillered the bow to almost the draw weight i want and am happy with the even arc of the limbs.
Now i've strung the bow to shoot i can see from behind that the top limb goes off to the right and the bottom limb to the left.
any idea how i can correct this without losing too much draw weight.
This is my first bow and i've learned a lot from it, it's alot harder to make a traditional bow than people think isn't it!!

Thanks in advance.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Is the twist even on both sides? If it is I would just leave it as it is. They will balance each other out. If they both go the same way, move your knocks round to take account of the way the wood wants to go. The wood will dictate how it will end up - it's called 'character'.

Eric

 

[Lone Bonobo]

One is twisting a little more that the other, meaning the string is not going in the centre of the handle, so when i draw the bow the handle is twisting in my hand.
I haven't put nocks on yet, i'm still using self nocks filed into the limb tips.

 

[Eric_Methven]

I'll let others have their input and see what they think, but I'd probably reprofile the handle and go with the twist. It should find it's own centre when drawn. I definitely wouldn't take any more wood off, and I wouldn't try steam bending to get it straight again. I've tried to fight wood before, especially self bows, and lost every time.

 

[Snufkin]

It sounds as if your limb cross sections are uneven. You need to thin the edge on the opposite side to the twist as the limb twists toward the weaker side. It may only take a few passes with a cabinet scraper to bring it into line. Go slow, brace and draw the bow several times after each pass. If the twist isn't too severe you may not loose much weight.

 

[nickg]

i go with snufkin on this. You should try to get the limbs to brace evenly side to side or the life of the bow will probably suffer from the torsional effects each time you loose. A LITTLE off the sides that bow out and test it often, taking off the sides will not let the draw weight off drasticly (as taking off the back and belly would). Dont be tempted to put a line down the centre and trim till both sides ae equal, the density of the wood may not be even throughout and this is what has caused the twist in the first place. However put a piece of masking tape down the inside (back) of the bow and draw a straight line down it between the nock points(with the bow unbraced) then when you brace up you will be able to see clearly, by sighting along the taut bowstring, where the point of maximum deflection occurs and thats the point on the side where the scraping should be done. NB NEVER take any wood at all off the bow whilst its braced, no matter how tempting, the thing will explode it your face - I know.
Hope this helps

cheers
Nick

 

[stovie]

...NB NEVER take any wood at all off the bow whilst its braced, no matter how tempting, the thing will explode it your face - I know.

cheers
Nick

Got to frown at this statement Nick . I have successfully tweaked the tiller on several of my bows when braced, and with no ill effects. Admittedly we are not talking heavy passes with a spoke shave, just a blade scraping. But I find it quite effective at times.

Anyway, as far as the twisted stave is concerned, a little off the side opposite to the twist may solve the problem as snufkin suggests, or failing that, if its not too drastic, lose the tips and re-tiller a slightly shorter bow...

 

[Lone Bonobo]

Thanks for the tips!

As for retillering for a shorter bow, i'd rather not. it's already shorter than i had wanted due to an awkward knot in the stave.

The stave started life with a bit of a twist so i think i was always in for a bit of a challenge.

I'll try taking some wood off the sides to bring the limbs back in line but if i do start losing draw weight i think i'll have to compromise a bit, after all it adds to the charachter of the bow.

As eric said, i can reprofile the handle to suit the way it draws.

Next job will be to make a covering for the grip, i've seen some nice bows with leather wraps laced up with leather thong, what type do you guys use?

 

[oops56]

I make bows off and on been 8 years i have that happen to me once i just did a steam job put in a jig let dry work ok. Hear a hit never pull back a bow with out a arrow in it. One of my bows i was showing it to someone before i new it he pulled it back bang 2 piece bow. I got more on my bows later

 

[nickg]

Got to frown at this statement Nick . I have successfully tweaked the tiller on several of my bows when braced, and with no ill effects. Admittedly we are not talking heavy passes with a spoke shave, just a blade scraping. But I find it quite effective at times.

I know what you are saying and I did it a few times with success myself and then - bang - I was only using a cabinet scraper but you cant see the stresses in the wood, in all probability it would have exploded anyway or maybe not, but a disintegrating bow is dodgy at any time and when you are tillering it you tend to be working with your face close to the belly of the bow which is risky IMHO. Each to his own of course but use caution.

Cheers
Nick