Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: paulc on May 11, 2025, 09:14:17 pm
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Elm limb characteristics...?
Should it be wider side to side and relatively narrow front to back?
Or does narrower side to side and "thicker" front to back also work?
I was thinking I might go vaguely ELB inspired on the current project w really no understanding of why that might work or not work.....
As always, Tia. Paul
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I don’t know if I have much useful advice Paul
I only made one elm bow and I am afraid it came in way under weight.
I removed to much wood roughing it out .
Not sure all elm is equal but the piece I used took much more wood than Osage, HHB or ash would’ve.
Good luck
Bjrogg
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I've only made a few elm bows but they were wide/thin rather than narrow/thick. I do believe that elm was one of the woods used in ELB and English war bows.
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If you go for an ELB keep the belly relatively flat, (don't round it too much), it can be a whisker wide than the back (e.g a trapped back... trapezium cross section).
Heat treating to belly to avoid chrysals is a good idea too if you are going for heavy draw weight.
Del
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In Europe relatively narrow elm limbs dominated for 1000s of years during Mesolithicum. 3,5-4 cm wide bows of very high draw weight, 80-100 lbs. How much set they took we don´t know but they were sofisticated and well tillered weapons, so I think we can assume they knew what the where doing. Bows were made from small diameter elm, so a "natural trapping" follows with semi-circular cross sections. In my experimenting - if made this way - they can take the strain very well. No wide logs needed. Saplings acctually makes better bows from elm than rectangular cross sections.
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American elm saplings is what I used to make 6 last winter. Four turned out nice, and 2 cracked from tiny knots on the back after heavy heat treat. The ones that made it all have long reflexed tips, and yes they are thicker, and wider compared to some other woods, but shoot just fine. After working with different white woods over the years it has become my favorite white wood. Inter locking grain makes it hard to split. I use a chain saw to split it. My son owns 60 acres , so I have a good supply of it. From now on the only woods I will make a bow from will be Osage when i can find a good piece, black locust which can be be easily gotten in my area, and elm.
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Bowyers Bible Volume 1
1-7/8" wide