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how do you build an ash longbow?

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alanesq:

--- Quote from: acker on May 13, 2010, 06:43:06 pm ---@alanesq : Your side is great  :) I was on it a couole of times as I started to build longbows and it was a great help ! I have to say thank you for that  :)

--- End quote ---

Glad to hear it was a help  ;D

nidrinr:
If you're making an ash longbow, with a D-cross section and a bend-through-the-handle design (like the MR bows), I strongly recommend you heat treat the belly of the bow. (Unless you have a piece of ash with SG 0.9 or higher). Unless you have a piece of wood with this good SG, ash bows of this design and draw weights in the warbow category have a bad habit of following the string.

Also remember to make sure you have a water proof finish on ash bows. Add it while the MC is as low as 7-8% to get the best result from ash. (Ash is really good at soaking up water :) )

-But made the right way, ash can take heavy poundage, good performing bows.

Look forward to see the result!

backgardenbowyer:
My ash elb is a bend through the handle style and though it is only about 60lbs @ 29" I heat treated the belly and went for an almost rectangular cross section (with rounded corners).  Ash can chrysal and IMHO a flatter belly helps protect against this.  Some of the Mary Rose bows were close to rectangular in cross section so it is quite authentic for a warbow.  Ash was certainly used in the middle ages but we have no way of knowing how heavy those bows were as none survived, what we do know is that it was thought to be a "mean" wood not comparable to yew.

Despite a lot of string follow (also a problem with ash) my rather twisty ash bow which cost me nothing at all has out performed some professionally made bows in a flight shoot.  I think ash is good stuff if you get the right piece and accept its limitations.

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