Author Topic: Another Elm Self Bow  (Read 7083 times)

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Offline Diligence

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Another Elm Self Bow
« on: March 10, 2010, 11:37:52 pm »
Okay guys, finished another elm bow.  This is bow number three - and I finished this one in record time, but I had a little trouble tillering it out and it ended up being 7# at full draw.

..and about 5# at 12 inches.  I tillered it out to 17"....and it's about all it can take at that dimension.  It's an Elm (brandon sub-species) selfbow, with a bit of natural reflex to it.  It does not have any set.

Yes - my 3 year old said, "Daddy, can I have a bow too - and can you make it look like yours?".....well, I just had to comply, including the heat treated belly, plain finish and two knots in the lower limb.

the specs:
35" tip to tip, 34" ntn.
Width at fades, 7/8, tapering to 1/2" at midlimb and down to 3/8" at the side nocks.
Thickness just outside the fades a whopping 3/16", consistent to the side nocks.

This is a rigid handle design with an arrow rest cut out.  I heat treated the belly after tillering and it twisted a bit so I need to un-twist it with heat again, but for now it is fine although the twist makes the string sit outside the handle a bit.  The tiller is pretty good, but when it is this thin, wow, does it flop all over the place during tillering!!!!  I think I was down to taking .000001" swipes with the scraper at the end.

I made a mini-arrow too. 19" with flu-flu.  short enough to be fun, and long enough so that he cannot overdraw the arrow off the shelf.

He shot it tonight for the first time and seemed to have fun.  We only managed a couple of shots before bed, but I thought I best get the "money shot" for you all.

Here is his best full draw.

Cheers,
J

[attachment deleted by admin]
« Last Edit: March 11, 2010, 02:28:46 pm by Diligence »
"Always do your best and to everyone be kind and good" - Ernst Hjalmer Selin (1906-2000)....my grandfather's words of advice he wanted me to tell my children.

Offline kerryb

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2010, 11:44:34 pm »
very cool
Milan Mo

Offline Pappy

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2010, 06:17:33 am »
Cool, By the look on his face that is about all the weight he needs. ;) :) :)
   Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
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Life is Good

Offline profsaffel

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2010, 09:06:06 am »
Hey, that's fantastic. I now know what I need to give my son for his 5th birthday.  O:)
Professor of History, Student of Bowyery

Offline Parnell

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2010, 11:35:34 am »
That is great!  I love to see pictures of kids with handmade bows.  He looks like he couldn't be happier.  Great job, Diligence!
1’—>1’

Offline DanaM

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2010, 11:44:23 am »
That picture made my day :) Congrats its a fine bow and a finer son :)
"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

Offline Canoe

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2010, 11:49:41 am »
Howdy Diligence,

Excellent tiller, Perfect form!!!   

This bow may turn out to one of your most memorable bows you ever make.  It's a winner!!

Congrats,
Canoe
"Nature is a mutable cloud which is always and never the same."  - R. W. Emerson

"Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit."    -Edward Abbey

Offline OldBow

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2010, 12:29:20 pm »
Very nice bow and Brandon's going to like to see his picture for March Self BOM fun.
When you're retired, every day is Saturday

Offline Diligence

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2010, 02:31:50 pm »
Thanks guys...I can hardly wait to get home today so we can try to shoot it some more.  I still have to show him how to do it, inlcuding how to hold it at arms length....but he already wants to shoot it at the neighborhood rabbits!

I told him we could take it to the park today, and he said, "No Daddy, it's too sharp and might hurt the little kids!"....he cracks me up.

Oldbow, his name is actually not Brandon, but rather the wood is Brandon Elm which is a subspecies of American Elm.

Cheers,
Jaye
"Always do your best and to everyone be kind and good" - Ernst Hjalmer Selin (1906-2000)....my grandfather's words of advice he wanted me to tell my children.

Offline Josh

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2010, 03:20:04 pm »
That's the coolest thing I have seen all day.   :)  Nice bow, looks like he likes it!   :)
“The trouble with quotes on the Internet is you never know if they are genuine.” —Abraham Lincoln

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2010, 04:15:45 pm »
Very nice to see. Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Barrage

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2010, 07:24:38 pm »
Looks great Jaye.  You're not going to have many Jack's in the alley anymore.  >:D
Travis

Offline venisonburger

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2010, 09:15:13 pm »
Nice bow, that little guy is givin it heck, he'll be popping chipmunks before you know it.
VB

Offline wildman

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2010, 10:01:46 pm »
Awesome bow very natural,I bet no target is safe now
" Society your crazy greed , hope your not lonely without me"

-Eddie Vedder-

Offline medicinewheel

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Re: Another Elm Self Bow
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2010, 03:05:27 am »
Nice bow!
Frank from Germany...