Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: k-hat on October 31, 2012, 08:23:07 pm

Title: Elm elb?
Post by: k-hat on October 31, 2012, 08:23:07 pm

Hey guys, I've had my eye on this stick for some time now, and have been wanting to try an elb style bow.  With elm, i know it'll need a serious deep heat treatment, and i'll keep'r long.  My question is this:  Can i get two outta this one??  A light weight youth bow and a heavy one for myself?

Specs:  Width varies between 2.5" to 3".  Well over an inch thick all the way through both sides.  Bout 76" long.  kept the edges fairly square so i think there's plenty of room?  here's pics:

(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd374/k-hat/100_1557.jpg)

(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd374/k-hat/100_1556.jpg)

(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd374/k-hat/100_1555.jpg)

CAN SHE PRODUCE TWINS? ???

Thanks for any input!

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: Marc St Louis on October 31, 2012, 08:25:21 pm

Depends on what you mean by heavy one for yourself.

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: k-hat on October 31, 2012, 08:31:02 pm

Oh not that heavy!  Thinking 60's for me, 30-40 for the other.

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: ionicmuffin on October 31, 2012, 08:35:59 pm

IMO yes, you could get 2 and at that weight your all set. they dont need to be like 1.5 inches wide or anything, more than likely you should have 2 nice elbs

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: toomanyknots on October 31, 2012, 08:43:08 pm

Be very careful if your splitting it the old fashion way. If you have a band saw, thats a different story, but if I had a stave that was 2 1/2" wide I would not split it anymore. I have had too many staves, even from wood that typically splits straight, even when all the other staves from the same exact tree split straight, give me surprises and end up with ONE usable stave,... if I am lucky. See, cuz i'll try to counter the possibility of the split moving , so I will start the split with one stave wider than the other, to try to make sure I still end up with one good stave, hopefull one good one and one ok narrow stave. And than the split will go all the way to nothing on the wide stave, and will I just end up with one narrow ended crappy stave, when I started with a perfect stave!  ;D

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: PatM on October 31, 2012, 08:47:29 pm

Not worth the risk. You're more likely to end up with two kids bows....for really young children.
 That stave has a nice crown down the center, if you rip it down the middle there is a good chance you'll end up with two staves with a high edge to one side.

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: sharpend60 on October 31, 2012, 09:00:29 pm

I agree with PatM.
 Build one really sweet one and dont risk having two mediocre bows, at best.

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: Holten101 on November 01, 2012, 02:34:55 am

I agree with Pat too....not worth the risk. You will be destroying a nice piece of wood to make a less than optimal design for the species. Make one Elb, or one flat imo.

Cheers

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: Bryce on November 01, 2012, 02:52:16 am

I'm with patm on this one

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: Marc St Louis on November 01, 2012, 06:21:13 am

It can be done, as long as you are good with a bandsaw.  You don't need much width for a kids bow.

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: Del the cat on November 01, 2012, 06:37:14 am

Yup, like the man says!
Make one good un. If if you end up with an offcut that will make a kids bow consider that a bonus!
Del

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: crooketarrow on November 01, 2012, 07:01:38 am

  THINK OF YOURSELF

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: k-hat on November 01, 2012, 08:40:43 am

Thanks for all the input guys.  I did a little cross section on paint and drew in the width and depth for two and it looks good.  Taking your advice into account, i'll cut a little wide of an adult bow, and see if there's enough left for the youth bow.  I wouldn't dare try to split this one, it's gonna be bandsaw all the way. 

thanks again! 

Title: Re: Elm elb?
Post by: Holten101 on November 01, 2012, 09:17:53 am

Let us know how it goes...maybe us sceptics can learn something;-).

GL with it:-)