How to Tiller a Primitive Bow

[@NappingWanderer]

"stop perfecting it to death" is honestly the best lesson I picked up from this. All, and I mean every bow I make, ends up underweight because of this. Excellent video, you're the best at what you do.

[@huntprimitive9918]

Very glad to help and thank you very much! best of luck on your future builds.

[@tonymaurice4157]

@@huntprimitive9918 you ever use black locust? No one seems to use it anymore.. Cherokee loved it. Belly seems to always crack.

[@Unfettered_Braid]

I appreciate that you spent the time to share all this great knowledge for novice bowyers! Thank you so much! 🎉

[@mattswildpointofview5057]

Best tiller walk through I've seen on KZbin.

[@BeckumOutdoors]

Great video Ryan. I do alot of my tillering like you. Finding the top limb and finding how the string lays. You are 100 percent right. Your video is the best on tillering yet.

[@huntprimitive9918]

thank you very much, and great to hear from you Thad

[@BeckumOutdoors]

@@huntprimitive9918 Hey Ryan how did the yucca string hold up?

[@huntprimitive9918]

@@BeckumOutdoors the knots seem to be the weak link. I am trying some new knots now. the bowline has been great with sinew but the yucca cuts itself after a while.

[@BeckumOutdoors]

@@huntprimitive9918 Makes sense.

[@cheechwizard7564]

Another excellent video. I recently (within the last several days) found your channel and have been binge watching since. I think this is the best experimental archeology channel on the interwebz.

[@j.shorter4716]

Great video Ryan! Everything that needs to be said is said. This is truly a great package of information. Thank you.

[@travispuckett333]

very informative! thank you. I just started making kids bows for Christmas. way more work than I realized. also very addictive. lol. just tried to make a 40# and will be lucky to be 25# after sanding and finish. I've been learning a lot. hopefully I'll do way better after watching your video. Thank you

[@apozki9773]

Everyone is saying that there is no audio, but i can hear it just fine. Probably a bug with youtube

[@igorsvacic217]

I love, love, LOVE your channel Ryan. Allways so clear, allways having in mind yo are talking to lay ppl, you are such a great teacher and master at explaining things. Also, Im so happy for you for managng to live of thing you love. The rarest two things on planet: being married to person you love Im talking about the one, and having job you love that pays enough to live from it. And thats why there are so many unhappy ppl

[@huntprimitive9918]

Thank you so much! I have definitely found a way to make marriage and work things I truly enjoy. thank you again for the kind words.

[@williamjhunter5714]

Another thing I discovered after tillering my bows is that if i place my fingertips under the bow in the exact middle, it will balance, showing there is equal mass of material in both limbs.

[@bienyamientoefy1923]

greetings sir and everyone.exellent explanation.i enjoyed it as much as i learned a ton.thank you sir.GOD BLESS YOU.SOUTH AFRICA CAPE TOWN

[@aaronschwingel3330]

this is a great deep dive into the tillering. it's a process that really warrants a full length video like this, since you can't cover all the little details and nuances in 15 minutes. I wish KZbin algorithm had brought it up for me 2 months ago when I first got into bowry! now I'm 2 selfbows deep and gearing up for the third, and I still got a lot out of this. I saw you in an atlatl video with Clay Hayes and I think he said you were in Arcadia FL. it definitely looked like Arcadia. I'm in Sarasota. I would imagine that you've made some bows from native woods- which species in Florida would you say are our best bet for bow wood? I've heard some speculation that Black Mangrove would be great, but wouldn't want to risk legal trouble harvesting a protected tree. We have Hickory up in the north part of the state, but not so much down here. I've definitely got my eyes peeled for any signs that someone is having a Live Oak tree cut down.

[@Longwinger]

Ryan, your tillering tree would be a good subject for another video! I'll be making my first bow soon and will make the tree while my Osage stave seasons a little longer.

[@Soviless99]

trying to make a short hickory mohegan bow right now. picked up some nice pointers man appreciate it. ive been using a card scraper. i accidentally whip tillered my last short hickory (same sapling i cut down back in 2013). the whole bow is roughly 1 inch in width the whole length of the stave

[@beesmongeese2978]

Awesome video from start to finish. I'm currently tillering my bendy handle recurve and this will help me a lot. Thanks

[@huntprimitive9918]

thank you very much and very glad to be of some help

[@karlantonlillester4884]

Well done on the video. Really like the attitude you have towards tillering.

[@huntprimitive9918]

thank you very much!

[@theladyivy]

What are the measurements for the lines on the wall? I really like that visual guide and want to use it on my tree

[@alchapman7376]

Outstanding tutorial!!! Thanks again so much Ryan!!!

[@huntprimitive9918]

My pleasure! thanks for following along Al

[@choppersFL]

Been waiting for this video for a long time brother! Thank you!

[@huntprimitive9918]

great to hear and hope it was what you were looking for

[@robwilcox2854]

awesome video Ryan ty, i am just getting ready to try to make my first bow

[@E-E.ADVENTUREGEARS]

Are there bow making instructions in your book? Because I'm looking to get one

[@projectilestuff5954]

I really appreciate this video. I’m working on my first hunting size Osage self bow and will begin tillering soon. I hope you make more videos in the future at this level of depth for everything on bow building.

[@huntprimitive9918]

excellent, very glad to hear it. Once the book I am working on is finished up, I plan to get a little heavier back into the next edition of my bow building book, and then back into more and more videos.

[@projectilestuff5954]

@@huntprimitive9918 Awesome! Can’t wait.

[@vfc1860]

I have seen you make bows with pristine osage staves. Where do you get them from? I think you make pristine bows and have the skills to do so. I get it that this is what sells and that as a pro you have high standards. My approach is that these types of bows are also historical imperfect implements and I really enjoy the imperfections and how a bow with issues and not the best tiller turns out to be a great shooter and more of a historical precedent. I am glad that a guy like you does this and has introduced so many people to great bows made of old school materials. Keep it up!

[@huntprimitive9918]

thanks much. I don't have any particular suppliers, I just find anything great that I can and buy it. People also tend to know to approach me if they have good stuff to sell. I much prefer to pristine staves, but I also use a lot of not perfect staves but I actually straighten them out and manipulate them into the shape I want before I tiller.

[@jeffcoultis7690]

Ryan I was wondering. Everyone always says that you have to exercise the limbs even if you only take a scrape or two off one side. What are your thoughts on this? Cause you didn't seem to do it in the video.

[@tomaskomarov1986]

Very informative tutorial, thank you. Just one question: Do you aim for an elliptical tiller or a circular? When I draw a circle or an ellipse in your bow, I am little confused. It seems to me, that both fits.

[@aaronharper2072]

Working on hickory bow. At tiller stage. When I unstring it is keeping a lot of bend in limbs.

[@jonathancharest8867]

The best video I seen so far... I will enjoy it 10 or more time because I'll tiller my first bow in two or 3 day... Wich me luck to not perfect my tillering! Lol

[@huntprimitive9918]

excellent, thank you very much and best of luck on your bow build!

[@jonathancharest8867]

@@huntprimitive9918 thanks! And i will start the tillering today! Yea

[@Clyde_42]

.. thanks for the video ryan, can u tell me what radius the recurves have on this bow? addition: I watched that video for another three times or so, and in my opinion is this one of the most helpful videos about tillering a Beginner can watch. "dont perfect it to death". most of the Beginners will learn this the hard way, what i did too. Thank you for sharing your expertise! i drop another question even if you couldnt answer the first one. how much set stays on that bow after unstringing? Thank you again for your efforts to bring your knowledge to us.

[@JaySav916]

Audio is coming in fine on my end

[@RedmanOutdoors366]

Good stuff man 😎👍🔥💯🏹

[@sigspearthumb1056]

What type of wood is being used for this bow build

[@greenredblueman]

Thanks for the great video, very helpful

[@user-mb4se6km5p]

Just finished my first gulwing super easy to tiller.

[@huntprimitive9918]

Sounds great! best of luck on your future bow making as well

[@robertcarte95]

Always learning on this channel. Thank you Sir! These deer around here probably won't like you this year.lol

[@huntprimitive9918]

great to hear, thank you very much!

[@vaultsjan]

You were right on money on where the bow would break... wish i watched your video first.

[@mtnsloper55]

So Gill, since you pick the top limb during tillering process and can change up during tillering, do you make the limb lengths center in the middle of your handle?

[@huntprimitive9918]

the center of the handle is my centerline, especially for this reason.

[@mtnsloper55]

Thanks so much for that reply. Another question please. Looks like your limb thickness is fairly even to the tips once past the fades. Do you try to start with an even thickness prior to tillering?

[@anibalperez2802]

Buen trabajo maestro como siempre 👍🏽👨‍🎓👏🏹

[@PRO_GAMER_SIM]

how much do you heat it up before it will bend to do recurves. or to bend the limbs with heat gun

[@huntprimitive9918]

I have a video on steaming recurves on here if you run a search for it. Any small corrections I do with a heat gun, but big ones I do with steam. I want them too hot to touch but not scorched at all

[@PRO_GAMER_SIM]

@@huntprimitive9918 ok thanks

[@larryreese6146]

Excellent! Thanks.

[@remusfleseru]

A lot of usefull information!! Good tutorial!!

[@huntprimitive9918]

thank you very much

[@PrimitiveTim]

Brooo, why didn't you put this video out yesterday when my wife was out of town and I could just veg and watch this long video for an hour 🤣 I'll just have to watch it at work.

[@huntprimitive9918]

hahaha... she doesn't let you sit still very long huh??lol

[@PrimitiveTim]

@@huntprimitive9918 haha nope 🤣

[@southernbushcraft1750]

Killer video like always ryan👍

[@huntprimitive9918]

Thanks man, I appreciate it

[@rdt1104]

Learned a lot, thanks!

[@williamjhunter5714]

Great demo, then it makes you wonder how the Native indigenous cultures tillered their bows with only stone tools, sea shell scrapers and their lap to work on.

[@TVmadethemdoit]

Nothing wrong with the audio here on PC youtube.

[@rook9714]

The video has no audio btw, thought u might wanna know

[@huntprimitive9918]

check it again for me if you would. it is working fine on others. It may have been a glitch with youtube

[@jjwilliamn4407]

It’s fine for me

[@mariopena5725]

Nice

[@PRO_GAMER_SIM]

if u pull to far it will get set in it has to be tiller a good amount first. i had a bow that got set by me pulling farther down to see it more lol

[@huntprimitive9918]

yup that's true, but that all comes with more and more practice.

[@PRO_GAMER_SIM]

@@huntprimitive9918 right your bows look awesome

[@oakridgeboy2023]

Mine keep losing weight when I'm done I don't get it

[@huntprimitive9918]

it keeps losing weight after the bow is finished? That's not typically normal unless it is taking on a lot of humidity

[@oakridgeboy2023]

@@huntprimitive9918 ya I think it is the humidity is crazy now

[@igorsvacic217]

Wouldnt be good for begginers to draw a square net on the wall, not just parallel lines? I think that would be helpfull, to draw also upward lines, to have squares, that way you could see better where it bends, where it crosseds the squares on either side. Same technique as for drawing big murals on wals from small on paper. Put squares on paper put bigger squares on wall and go square by square, at least you get the prroportions right, than you can draw free handed.

[@huntprimitive9918]

possibly. Too many lines for my eyes. but that may be just the ticket for someone. The problem though is if you go solely by those lines you might be ignoring nuances in the wood that need to be considered like small knots, twists, etc.

[@jjwilliamn4407]

Could you make another bow making tutorial ?

[@huntprimitive9918]

I would like to at some point I suppose. I have 2 out there already in case you haven't seen both of them yet

[@jjwilliamn4407]

@@huntprimitive9918 I’ve seen the Osage one I’ll look for the other one thanks for replying

[@huntprimitive9918]

@@jjwilliamn4407 it's the full stone age bow build. thats actually my favorite one and its still my current favorite hunting bow

[@jjwilliamn4407]

@@huntprimitive9918 ohhh I remember watching that one I forget about it though it was an awesome video

[@cretudavid8622]

Well the audio isn't working :) Edit: it's working

[@timbutler5690]

I will take you at heart

[@hu4ngming]

Twisted limb adjustment tutorial? I mean.. it's going too far against my favour.. have no choice but to adjust it

[@verdikulk6193]

No sound

[@jjwilliamn4407]

There’s sound for me

[@aslanbosnakoglu8240]

support comment

[@lourivaldasilvaguimaraes7400]

like

[@mtnsloper55]

Sorry, Ryan

[@jared2414]

First!

[@lourivaldasilvaguimaraes7400]

primeiro

[@richardquick826]

i must be stupid. i don't get it. i have made 50 bows, only 5 works. i don't see what u see building. i am going to quit all together . american elm is very hard but the only wood available to make a strong bow . if i try again i will take i the cabium off richard

[@oakridgeboy2023]

Nice