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Need advice regarding elderberry

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FilipT:
So I picked up yesterday elderberry. 205 cm (80,7") long, 5 cm (~2") in diameter with 5 cm (~2") of reflex. I want to make heavier longbow / warbow (not sure yet about poundage), somewhere 190 cm - 200 cm in length tip to tip.

My questions are following:
1. Is that reflex too much for warbow?
2. If I design the bow as classic warbow, pith canal will go through the limbs without being visible on the surface. My 25# elderberry bow was a flatbow so canal was visible and bow had cool "U" cross section which works perfectly. But what about bow being basically a hollow through whole length?

Thanks

Del the cat:
If it's 2" diameter I think the pith channel will break through into the limb at some point round about 2/3 along the limb...
Assuming it will be  about 1 1/2" thick at the grip and about 1/2" round at the tip, you are bound to break through the channel
I wouldn't worry about the reflex.
I'd maybe tempted to do something wacky like saw it down the centre into a backing and a belly, you could plane out the pith chanel and the glue it back together, that would also allow you to take out the reflex if you wanted.
Could even use the off cuts to fill the pith channel near the grip section so you could retain more thickness there if required...
Dunno, just thinking out loud!
Only way you'll find out is to try it.
Del

FilipT:
By breaking through you mean, channel will "come out" and bow will be "U" in cross section in the last 1/3 of limb? So that hollowed limb doesn't matter, or to put it another way, it won't be weak?

No sawing for me, I don't have bandsaw.

Jonas:
The Reflex should be no problem.
I dont think that the belly will resist the compression if you leave the pith channel inside. But I have never tried it with elderberry, just reconsidering my experience with other woods (for example dogwood).

FilipT:
Actually I measured the reflex. Its 8 cm and not 5 cm! Not sure if that changes much. Bow will be roughed out tomorrow and clamped to a bar so as its wet it will probably loose excess of reflex.

I am tempted by two ideas for this bow. Actually I want this bow to be very special to me (and to all of you here). I got here special wood with this channel so that is one of the cool things, but I am not sure yet if I want classic warbow or more like a "victorian longbow" where I will have stiff handle.

Also I plan to make recurved tips no matter the design.
Even though they don't mean much on bow this long considering performance, they will give a "Elvish" look when combined with yellowish color of elderberry and pith channel. That is what I want to achieve.

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