Elm?

[JT]

I cut a small tree behind the house yesterday that I cant ID. I think its elm. I searched on here & have a couple questions:
Will it make a bow? What design would be best?  I'm partial to hunting weight bows around 50lbs & my draw is 30". I have a 6' piece that is straight as an arrow & tight growth rings (less than 1/16").

The tree approx 7" dia. was dying in the top. If it is elm, I guess it has Dutch Elm Disease. Will this affect the wood? Anything else I need to know?

thanks in advance,
JT

[Pappy]

If it is elm it will make a bow,personally I don't like to use dead or dieing trees other than maybe Osage. You can check it out when you get it down to stave size by doing a little bend test on a sliver of the back wood,if it bends ok then go for it.I would say on size.at least 68 for that draw and probably 1 3/4 at the fads tapered to 1/2 at the tip,you can narrow them after the bow is tillered. 
  Pappy

[JT]

Thanks Pappy. I'm just not familiar with elm. Never seen it in the hills of North Ga, but it appears common here below Atlanta. It smells like cedar so I guess its cedar elm or maybe Texas elm.
I'm gonna get it split & debarked & in the dry today.
I'm new at this bow makin & just tryin to get some wood stored up.

[adb]

Are you sure you have a 30" draw with a longbow? It's not measured the same as a compound (or recurve for that matter). Rare to have that long of a full draw, but depends on your anchor point.
My full draw with a compound was 29", but with a longbow, it's 27".

[k-hat]

Sounds like cedar elm.  It's real good stuff.  You can reduce it to staves (make sure you seal the ends), let it dry a month or so, then reduce close to bow dimensions and let it dry for another few weeks. I would reduce it further to desired dimensions (floor tiller) and then let it dry some more before tillering.  You can check mass at this point on a scale and she's safe to tiller when mass is constant for a few days.  If you're like me, your scale isn't hefty enough to measure the mass till about this point, but it is better if you can be monitoring mass most of the drying time.

That said, i think it'll be better if you let it season for a year or so in stave form.  I did both with my elm, and some of the staves took on some unpleasant bends.  The quartered staves are still nice and straight. 

[JT]

Thanks k-hat. Sounds like I can treat it like hickory. I got it split & debarked & sealed up. I think I'll let it season for a year in the garage. I got some black locust to keep me busy till turkey season.

Yes adb, I'm a 30" draw, but at 6'5" I guess thats bout right. I've been shootin a factory recurve for several years that I draw 31" or so. I guess a long/flat self bow I should be about 30"
thanks,
JT

[k-hat]

but at 6'5" I guess thats bout right

6'5"   I'd say 30"  might be ok for you then