Osage for elb bow

[TimothyR]

Would Osage make an ok elb? 

[Bob Barnes]

JD Jones made several osage ELBs and they shot great.   

[Pat B]

Yes!

[Del the cat]

Yes

[meanewood]

No, just kidding, yes.

[RyanY]

Absolutely. Great compression strength for a rounded belly. Just make sure that the tiller shape is good and the tips are narrow if you make it long. Osage is heavy so higher risk for hand shock if those things aren’t taken care of.

[HH~]

Sure, have made some 70", 72, 74" Hedge ELBs backed and unbacked with rounded bellys suitable and conform to IFAA rules. Shoot off back of hand Mediterrainien style. Have one with Boo back,  Hickory tapered lam and osage  core and belly. It's a killer.

HH~

[TimothyR]

I have a 72" sapwood backed stave. Thought about an elb. Should I take the sapwood off?

[Yooper Bowyer]

It depends on the early to latewood ratios.  It is lighter, and the yew ELBs leave the sapwood on too.

[TimothyR]

Pics of end grain

[HH~]

Can do a backed one. Turn stave into a 1.25" x72" board, leave it 1.5" thick in grip, draw bow out, cut it. For a IFAA legal bow the ELB has to conform to some historic specs.

Shawn~