Tillering A Laminated Longbow

The pine hollow longbows tillering stick reveals how your stave is reacting to the corrections you re making during the tillering process.

Tillering a laminated longbow.

Perfect tiller hinged tiller flat spot. This means that if after you first string the bow you pull 45 at the first notch on the tiller stick then you need to stop and achieve a good tiller. Our tillering stick is made from solid wood and is notched every two inches from 4 to 28. Never pull the bow past your desired weight.

That said be prepared to break a few bows. A laminated bow offers more options as far as wood combinations and design goes. Successfully tillering a bow takes time and is difficult to teach even in person so there is only so much that you can learn from reading without just going and doing it. Tillering stick every bowyer needs a tillering stick.

The dimensions of the belly laminate should be about 75 by 1 1 2 by 1 and the dimensions of the back laminate 75 by 1 1 2 by 3 16. Tillering is the adjustment of tiller by removing material from a bow limb or limbs. But before a persons gets to the point that the benefits of laminating are outweighing the extra troubles a laminated bow creates you have to do some serious experimenting and to expect some failed bows. Time to tiller the bow.

Understanding tiller most shooters regardless of preferred shooting style draw a traditional bow at a more severe angle on the bottom than on the top. Cut the laminates using a circular saw or a band saw. The grain of the back laminate must run straight down the length of the board and be uncut. I tiller my bows even for a 3 under shooter.

The design includes a flat base which makes it easier to use. The belly of the bow is the part that faces the shooter the back is away from the shooter. I ve never made a laminated bow but i d expect that how much you come in on each limb depends on how wide the limb is and what materials are in the limb. Most bows are tillered to approximately 1 8 1 4 positive measurement on the upper limb when the bow is to be shot split fingered.