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Ash ELB measurements?

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Bootthrower:
Is this similiar to the cross section that you suggested?

WillS:
Close.  That would be a very safe section, I'd personally go for something quite a bit deeper than the drawing.

This is the MR cross section, and adjusting this for ash would be a case of leaving more wood in the bottom corners - not enough to make it square, but just enough to widen the belly crown slightly.



If you wanted to avoid the hassle of heat treating, then you could leave the belly much flatter, but although ash doesn't *need* to be tempered, it does make a marked improvement on performance.  If you temper at the right stage, it also reduces the chance of seeing chrysals as it improves the compression properties of the belly.  Ash will still chrysal at the slightest error though, around the heavier weights so you have to get that tiller shape spot on nice and early.

Bootthrower:
By making the belly flatter you mean a less prominent crown? (Totally beginner so I don't know all the terms)

I don't mind going through the trouble of heat treating, but I don't think I have the equipment! I don't have a heat-gun or a blow torch, so I don't know what I should do.. I have heard of people using just a campfire for treating, but I don't know if that works with a longbow, or if it yields decent results if done by a total beginner like myself..

WillS:
Yep - the flatter the belly, the better it resists compression before folding up and getting chrysals.  Lots of people who don't push whitewoods much think you need a flat belly to make a heavy bow, but you just need to tiller more carefully.  A flat belly is possibly more suitable for a beginner as it gives you that little bit extra breathing room before it all goes horribly wrong, but if you've got wood spare and want to do it properly, you may as well just do it properly  ;)

Here's a great tutorial by one of the best heavy meanewood bowyers around, Jaro Petrina.  Follow his cross section and in particular follow his tiller shape and you'll be fine.

http://www.theenglishwarbowsociety.com/Making_a_whitewood_longbow2015.html

Campfire will work fine for heat treating - let it burn down first though!  One popular method is to arrange the hot coals in a long line or trench and hang the bow above it, clamped to a 2x4 or similar.  You can add reflex, remove any set etc at this stage too, and even correct sideways bend if you have any.  When you're tempering a bow you don't want to see scorch marks or really any dramatic colour change - just a gentle golden shade is plenty and the heat should be penetrating right through to the back of the bow so that it's too hot to touch.  Takes a while, but is well worth it.

Bootthrower:
This is just what I needed to know! Thanks a lot for the fantastic help!

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