Eastern woodlands elm selfbow

[epage_backwards_hat]

Most recent bow wrapped up in time for season. It is an eastern woodlands inspired un-backed elm pulling roughly 55lb @ 28”. It’s a tack driver and extremely quiet.
I made it at 70” to stay true to EW style of bow being about the hight of the archer. Limbs are BEEFY which I understand to be typical of the elm. Part of the reason I went about 10lb over my normal draw, to keep the speed and energy. But it makes it very accurate and forgiving. Pretty pleased with this one but elm is a different animal. I did zero back set so this one took about 3” of set, not hateful. Pretty typical of white wood flat bow with no backing. It’s gonna be a killer.

[Pat B]

Looks nice. Will you post an unbraced and full draw pic?

[epage_backwards_hat]

Here you go. In case you’re wondering… the bend at the fades was A LOT worse early on lol. Was glad I went heavy to correct it best I could and stay within the draw I wanted.

[Pat B]

If you haven't already you can heat treat the belly to reduce the set and add a little weight. Otherwise it will kill as it is. 

[epage_backwards_hat]

I did a mild heat treat/fire harden on this one at the blank stage. North Missouri in summer time though… bound to soak up moisture just walking from the coal bed to the tillering tree haha

[Pat B]

I'd give it a good heat treating on a form inducing some back set to end up with a little less set and increase compression strength. Elm is a very good bow wood and not as susceptible to moisture as hickory is.

[epage_backwards_hat]

You’ve convinced me. I’ll try it!

[Pat B]

Give it a couple of days to re-hydrate before straining it.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Good go at an Eastern woodland style. It’s one I like myself. Its length and being a narrow bendy handle makes for a smooth easy shooter.

 I built a hickory one a few years ago and it’s fun to dig out and shoot. Like you said the humidity can wreak havoc with white woods in MO. it fluctuates from 50# if I keep it out in the high summer humidity a few days to over 80# in a dry winter. It was tillered to be 75# at 27”.

It does appear to be bending almost entirely near the handle. This style bow should bend in an elliptical tiller. That’s the biggest reason for the 3inches of set. Essentially start with the handle and inner 1/4 of the limbs barely bending if at all. Until the last few inches of draw and get the last few inches of tillering from just making the handle area flexing.

Kyle

[epage_backwards_hat]

Thanks. I have since taken the earlier advice and I retillered and heat treated with a heat gun with a touch of backset. Made all the difference and still 50lbs plus. It was the right move.

[Pat B]

Kyle, that's how I like to build as bendy handle bow so I barely feel the handle give a little when I hit full draw. I get there by tillering the limbs but only come into the handle area in the last few inches at full draw.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

It works well that way. A couple years ago I made an Osage English longbow that I tillered circular since I was going for as heavy of a bow as the stave would allow. And that got me the most for the amount of wood. That bow shook the hell out of my hand. So I retillered, dropping from 60 shown to 55 pounds but I softened the mid limbs so the handle area would stiffen up, and it made a world of difference. Mild in the hand and still threw an arrow hard. A barely flexing handle is deinitely the way to go.

Kyle