Something Fishy UPDATE

[Pappy]

I would give it a few days,maybe even a couple of weeks before I shot it much if you thing moisture may be the problem. Just noticed the picture at the out house,now that is funny I don't care who you are. 
   Pappy

[DQ]

I shot the heck out of this bow today and I've changed my opinion of it.  It had dried out and gained its weight back, as some of you experienced bowyers on this forum suggested it might.  After finding the right arrow for it, (cane shaft arrows I got from PEARL DRUMS) and adjusting the brace height and nocking point, it shoots really well!  I'm happy with this bow now! 

I still feel that it has extra wood, and weight, in the limb tips and that it doesn't balance just right in the hand, but it is a GOOD bow.  The important thing is...I now know that if I attempted this bow again I could make a better one.

Thanks everyone for the advice and taking part in the FUN of sharing our work and enjoying primitive bows.

Darryl

Pappy - Thanks for noticing the outhouse.  Kind of a crapy bow isn't it?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Finally found a use for those shafts, thats cool. I was gonna take that bow with me next time I was up if you bad mouthed it again! She is a sweety.

[Keenan]

"Pappy - Thanks for noticing the outhouse"

 Funny how (bow porn) will keep us from noticing the obvious 

[blackhawk]

. 
..I now know that if I attempted this bow again I could make a better one.

 ....that's a trap,and that kind of thinking is the beginning of the bowyers disease...and if you let those thoughts take hold of you,you then will be a full fledged bowmaking fool/junkie.

[DQ]

You're right, Blackhawk.  I have to quit thinking like that and concentrate on something more productive.   (Yeah right!)

[tattoo dave]

Great lookin bow DQ!!! cane shafts are the way to go!! My favorite for sure. I like those skins also. Glad it worked out for ya.

Tattoo Dave

[arklowrebel]

Looks like a beaut to me!  I'd be thrilled with it.   

[scp]

Looks too good to be left alone as good enough. I would bend the tips a little more tight and even cut off an inch. Then you would probably have to remove the skin from the tips. I say this only because you said your normal draw weight is higher.

[DQ]

Hmmmmm.  Hmmmmm.    Thinking.

I steamed the tips on this elm bow and they mostly pulled out.  Some say to use dry heat on whitewood.  Possibly shorten it, heat in some recurve and up the weight and performance?

Hmmmmm.

[Pappy]

I don't like dry heat on Hickory,had some trouble with that bending tips ,but the last winged Elm I made I use dry heat and it worked fine and didn't pull out. Most white wood I have fooled with[and that's a lot] like to be dry,real dry and the Elm was no different,it spent a lot of time in between work sessions in the hot box or over an AC duct.  Maybe you didn't give it long enough to dry out after you bent them.I will use dry heat on the after the bend and they have set for a few days if I steam or boil the tips. Kind of sets them I suppose. They seem to hold ok when I do that.    
   Pappy

[crooketarrow]

  SKINS LOOK GOOD
  I'd say you did'nt give it time to rehrdrate before you started tillering.
  DRY HEAT ON SEASONDED WOOD.
  STEAM ON GREEN WOOD.

[Marc St Louis]

The bow looks good, a bit whip tillered on the upper limb. 

The only way to bend sharp recurves is with wet heat, doesn't matter if the wood is green or seasoned.  You can bend shallow recurves with dry heat on seasoned wood but if you go too far it will splinter.  The best way is to steam bend the recurves and then set them with dry heat.  I have written about this in PA magazine before.