Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Swamp Thang on March 01, 2018, 06:15:16 pm
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So I've had this laying around for a couple years. Just started working it again. One of several I'm working on right now. This one is 50" long looking to get 40# to 45# at 23".
Draw progression.
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Not looking too bad. I’d get the midlimbs worki a bit more though.
Kyle
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I agree with Kyle, mid limbs need a little more work.
Tattoo Dave
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I've never heard of Cedar Elm - what part of the country does it grow? We have a few varieties of Cedar and Elms up here in Central NY state, but this one is unknown. Nice Shorty - I'll follow the progress. Looks like it's going to be feather light in the hand - great blind bow!
If the Blizzard we're getting keeps up, I might have some nice White Birch staves! My trees are bent over to the ground covered in Heavy Snow!
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Cedar Elm is really common in Texas. It starts to disappear west of central Texas as you near the desert. Not sure how far east and north its range is.
I have no idea why we call it a "cedar" elm. It hardly resembles a cedar in any way. Just keeping the tradition of confusing naming conventions (like calling a juniper a cedar, etc)
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From Wikipedia,"The common name 'cedar elm' is derived from the trees' association with juniper trees, locally known as cedars." I guess it grows in the same area as junipers.
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Cedar Elm, Ulmus Crassifolia, aka: Basket Elm, Scrub Elm, Lime Elm, Texas Elm and Southern Rock Elm.
I always assumed the nickname "Cedar Elm" was due to the wood looking like Red Cedar when cut, because older trees can develop heartwood that is a beautiful warm reddish-brown color, with the contrasting layer of white sapwood -but who knows. The leaves are different from the more common elms, as they are smaller and thick & leathery, like a non-deciduous Southern semi-evergreen. They're everywhere on my brother in law's Central TX property, where I felled one. They are inter-mingled with ERC and the TX scrub Osage I cut, there in the bottom lands, near a creek. I was sad that the one I cut did not have the lovely reddish-brown heart in it, but instead, its heart was just a pale mauve-pink color, which looked basically white at a glance. Made a couple of bows from it and it seemed like good bow wood. Really benefits from multiple belly tempering, to avoid set. This was my first experience with Elm, and–once cured–it was some tough wood to work. Stuff just seemed to laugh-off my efforts with the hatchet, while reducing the stave down. –John
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"Stuff just seemed to laugh-off my efforts with the hatchet, while reducing the stave down. –John"
Sounds like elm all right. Hard to get a bite, when it does it tears off in long, digging splinters. The hardest "white" elm I ever cu DIDN'T do this, but was still hard to split.
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It's too early to give an accurate assessment.
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Looking good so far! I have dozens of cedar elms growing on my property.. they seem to spring up everywhere here.
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Tiller update
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Looking good so far! I have dozens of cedar elms growing on my property.. they seem to spring up everywhere here.
Well, I'm jealous, then. I'd like to upgrade from slippery and Siberian elm volunteer saplings. The best elm I had was some of the best WOOD I've had.
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Most of the ones here are not very straight for long staves, but I want to eventually make some take-downs with shorter sections.
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So I'm stuck on the tiller I can get to this part.
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Don't know if its just the camera angle, but it looks like your pulling a bit high on the string. Also maybe you can scoot back from the camera a bit and take another photo from the direct side profile. That might help us give you better advice.