After most of the contour shaping was done, and the limb tips sanded to shape, it was time to put some backing on. As indicated earlier, there are all sorts of prettier options than the fiberglass cloth that I used, but it was functional. The process is straightforward: mix up some epoxy, put a thin layer on the back of the bow, gently press the fiberglass cloth into the epoxy, making sure that there are no air pockets or dry spots. Slightly heating up the epoxy helps spreading it. I used the microwave. Microwave it too long, and your mixtures turns into an unworkable glob of goo. How long is too long? You’ll find out when it happens, but start with seconds. The aim is to heat is some so it flows better.
I ended up using three layers of cloth, paranoid as I was about heaving the bow break on me. A final layer of just epoxy was on to create a surface that I could sand without cutting into the cloth. For esthetic purposes I also covered the limb tips, although it really has no purpose of strengthening any thing there. After cutting away the excess cloth, a few passes on the oscillating drum sander were enough the provide clean edges all around, using a small diameter drum for the riser section.
With all this done, it was ready to start the “tillering”. Basically this means that you remove material from the belly of the limbs so you can bend them by pulling on the string. I put together a so-called Flemish string from wire used to tie roasts in the kitchen, and I totally forgot how that process works. I have read people using things as simple as parachute cord. My solution lasted just about as long as it took to get through the process and then it broke.
Next you need a tillering tree. There are many how-to’s on Youtube for that. A picture is worth a few thousand words in this case. It is nothing more than a contraption onto which you can rest the bow-to-be, belly down, and a series of notches from about 6″ to at least your draw length, or a few inches more. The notches shown on mind may be a lot deeper than they really need to be. I just felt it was important to get them lined up underneath the center of the bow.
Put the bow on top, back towards the ceiling, string dangling down. Grab the string with two hands, and pull down, hooking the string under the first notch. If you can’t bend the limbs that much, they are too bulky. Start to remove material from the belly of the bow until they bend enough to allow you to hook the string. Step back and observe the bend in the limbs. Are they the same? Are there weak spots where the limb bends stronger? Or spots where they limbs just won’t bend as much? Mark the locations where you think you need to remove material to create a nice even bend across the limb. Don’t work on the weaker spots, work on the strong sections. Repeat. Don’t progress to the next notch until you are happy with the curve in both limbs. Work your way all the way down to your draw length, and go easy. You cannot put back material that you removed.
I have seen much better designs than this one, with tillering trees attached to the wall and the use of pulleys and rope to make the limb bends while you observe from a distance. That set-up also allows you to hook up a scale so yo can monitor draw weight. An alternative method, much less convenient, is to take your tillering tree and bow, put it on a bathroom scale, and watch the display while you pull and hold at the desired length. Does it work? Yes. Is it convenient and easy? Not really.
Having an uncluttered background helps you gauge the bend in the limb. I used a piece of cardboard, with horizontal lines of masking tape. As you can see here, the overall bend is the same in both limbs (the tips go down the same distance on both sides), but the lower one (left) doesn’t bend as “round”. I had to work that limb to create a curve more similar to the top limb.
Shown here is the bow nearing completion, but still drawing more weight than I was comfortable with. Some more sanding on the belly off the limbs, and back and forth to the tillering tree, always keeping an eye on obtaining a nice even bend through the limbs.
Once I was happy with the way the limbs bent, and a few test shots were made, I stained the wood, and put on five or six coats of a rub-on poly-urethane finish. Here is a short video of some backyard testing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z53ZflQqqgY
It turned out that the shelf was not to my liking, the arrows rolled off too easily, and I wanted the high-point to be closer to the deepest part of the grip. After that, it was a matter of refinishing, buying a real string (nope I didn’t make one myself), and learning how to shoot.
This was a very rewarding project. It took a fair amount of time. It can be done with nothing but hand tools, but a few well-chosen power tools will make the job a lot easier. I have been severely tempted to take this bow on a hunt, but after shooting my new longbow that was made by a professional I realize that, despite the legal draw weight, I’d be better off with something a little more powerful. More on that later. Feel free to leave a comment or use the contact page if you have any questions.