Designs for Elm?

[bjrogg]

I got a Elm stave that Pnewton gave me. It is a really nice straight flat stave. I split it with the table saw and got two staves. I roughed out the first one and had it coming nice on one limb then took a huge chunk out of second limb with draw knife. I'm afraid it's Kids bow at best now.
I'm use to HHB and it seems like I need more wood for this Elm.
I have second roughed out to 2" wide 1/2" thick limbs. Back is very flat I would say, other than the small waves. I'm thinking I want around 52@28 for this one maybe a little heavier. I have plenty of length stave is still almost 79. I would call rings med. thickness. I post some pictures. As I understand Elm likes high crown and flat belly. I don't have crown so I think I want wide limbs and flat belly.  I would appreciate any advice for design. I have Elm that I can harvest in future. I'm thinking I'd like static recurve tip simular to my HHB bows. Wondering what shape limbs and tiller to go with.
I gotta go to work now might not be able to reply for a bit but will check back later.
Thanks Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Here's back crosssection

[PatM]

Elm can make any design.  Put your drawknife away and pick up your rasp though.

[bjrogg]

Elm can make any design.  Put your drawknife away and pick up your rasp though.

Yup figured the draw knive and rasp part already thanks Pat
Bjrogg

[alcot]

Yeah I learned the hard way about elm and draw knife/hatchet. If you take too much of a swipe it can dig deep-easy does it, little bit at a time. Last elm I dug too deep and the handle split clean off, thus my first bendy handle bow.

[Redhand]

Elm can make any design.  Put your drawknife away and pick up your rasp though.

Yep I learned that the hard way. Draw knife will just ruin a good elm stave.

[bushboy]

Elm makes a fine mollegebet.it also likes to change it's tiller,i now let my elm bows sweat for a few hours on and off for a few days.

[Pat B]

My first attempt with elm was a 60"t/t elm static recurve selfbow. I was amazed how easily it worked, how well it could be manipulated with heat(heat gun), and how well it handled the short static recurve. That bow probably drew 55#@26". Elm handles belly tempering very well also.

[k-hat]

Elm is super strong in tension, so-so to weak in compression.  You can leave the belly natural and trap the back, or you can toast the belly as Pat said  and go a little more narrow.  I love working with elm and shooting elm bows.  It just lends itself well to my default design tendencies and shooting style.  Elm performs very well in any highly strained design, esp with belly well-toasted.  That said, I'm doing an elm ELB type bow that's not really highly strained, but will need a good toasting.  I've heard well-toasted elm is very yewish.

[Springbuck]

Elm can make any design.

GOOD elm can make any design!  I've worked with some pretty scruffy stuff.

Otherwise, I totally agree.  You have crown there, just not real high.  Classic design for me in elm is a flatbow, 2"-2.5" wide, "nose-picker" to "eyebrow" height, short lever molly or Eiffel tower outer thirds....  Flipped tips if I feel like it.

[PatM]

I only cut good stuff.

[bjrogg]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm was planning on a good belly toasting. I'm kinda hoping to narrow it up a bit but if it should be wide I could leave it wide to. I was mostly worried about compression and wondering how to design for it. I really don't know if it's good Elm or bad Elm.lol. Guess I'll have to see what it tells me.
Bjrogg

[Jim Davis]

At 1/2" thick, I would certainly not thin it any more than what you have to scrap in tillering. I would also leave it as wide as you can at the fades.

[simson]

You can do shorties, longbows, flatties, sinewed - almost everything with a good elm.

Here are some of mine: http://primitive-bows.com/tag/elm/

[bjrogg]

Thanks Jim, I took it to 1/2" with rasp didn't figure on taking off anymore till ready for tillering. It is still very heavy floor tiller yet barely bending.
Thanks Simson, your site is amazing. You gave me many ideas for future bows also. You truly are a very talented Bowyer. I am so glad you frequent our site.
Bjrogg