elm newbie question

[simk]

as i have my first elm in the clamps: apart from the darker color, is there any difference in strenght between the white early wood and the darker core wood? thanx for your opinions and a very nice day! cheers

[Del the cat]

No difference between heartwood and sapwood in my experience, and I've made a couple of Elm Warbows of 100# ...
Del

[simk]

thanx del! for the fancy look i then will try to fit the limbs into the transition of  heart- and sapwood 

[simk]

Hello All

New question occurred: I'd like to slightly reflex the stiff tips. Does elm bend well only with dry heat or would it be better to steam first and then apply dry heat?

Thanx a lot in advance!

[PatM]

Bend with steam, set with dry heat.

[simk]

Yes sir, thank you sir!

[loefflerchuck]

Elm is much stronger in tension than compression so sapling bows with a crowned back are a great design. Our Siberian elm is one of my favorite woods.

[simk]

I'm slightly surprised about that chuck - have seen many strong flatbows and elbish bows of elm and also sinewed ones - therefore i thought it must be good in compression and therefore the layout of my actual project requires good compression ability. Hope to get away with it....i'll let you know the outcome. Cheers

[simk]

ok, i got it low braced and bent: about 50# @ 22" - still way too strong for me. Where do i get more bend from? Where would you go on tillering? The bending zone is pyramidal... suggestions?

[simk]

maybe you also have an idea on how best to deal with my primary problem? the top needle of that moelle leans a bit to the right. you can see it also unbraced. actually it's not an issue - string alignement is fine, only a bit diagonal. If that needle remained in the straight position, string alignement would even be better.

As I will have to thin theese slightly reflexed needles substantially i will have to avoid that needle to go further to the right....keep this relexed needle under control.

What to do?

Remove more wood from one side and make it bend the other way? Which side do i remove more wood?

Steam/dry heat again and correct it?It was probably my bending fault - was not accurate. I don't like this idea because the reflex maybe goes back when heating again...?

Any ideas warmly welcome!!!

Thanx and a nice wekkend to everybody!

 

[loefflerchuck]

I'd use dry heat for that.

[leonwood]

What Chuck said, use dry heat for the correction, takes only a minute and maybe 15 minutes to cool down. Repeat if needed. Reduce the thickness of the levers at least 50%.
On the tiller: your left limb looks stiffer.  If your lims have a pyramid shape you can use some more bend from the fades and mid limb to get a more circular tiller shape

[simk]

thanx chuck and leon - aporeciate it. dry heat was working fine. my first mølle is on the way! cheers

[upstatenybowyer]

I think that bend looks pretty balanced. I would just remove wood evenly across the working limbs until you get it to the draw length your going for.