What Does Tillering Wood Mean?

Wood Bow Terminology

• The tiller of a wooden bow refers to the difference between the measurements of the bow's upper and lower limbs from the bowstring to the belly. According to Stickbow.com, a bow-building and hunting website, a bowyer traditionally tillers a bow to create a stiff lower limb. This means the measurement of the lower limb from bowstring to belly is less than the upper limb. A bow's belly is the facing of the wood on the same side as the bowstring facing the archer.

Bow Tillering Methods

• A bowyer tillers the wood on a bow to remove material from one or both limbs. This is sometimes necessary to allow the bow to function and fire accurately. A bowyer tillers wood through one of several methods: She might sand either bow limb to reduce the thickness of the wood, cut only the strong limb to balance the bow or round the edges of either limb. The bottom bow limb must always be heavier to allow the bow to operate as a fulcrum and generate the power necessary to propel objects forward.

Taking Accurate Measurements

• Accurate measurements are important when tillering the wood on a bow. According to Stickbow.com, a bowyer always takes measurements perpendicular to the bowstring to ensure the best possible accuracy. Taking measurements from another angle could result in the bowyer tillering too much wood from one particular bow limb. The result is a bow that will not fire with accuracy or over considerable distances because of the lack of stiffness in the bow's strong limb.

Slow Tillering Technique

• Tillering wood requires a slow, methodical hand because of the necessity for uniform measurements throughout each bow limb. A bowyer working too quickly could sand or cut away too much wood or damage part of the bow limb. Once the wood leaves the limb, it's impossible to put the material back. The resulting thickness in the bow limb could mean the bowyer has to scrap the bow and start all over with a new piece of wood.