Elm Sapling Bow Questions

[KnapperJay]

Hello. I recently harvested an elm sapling with the intention of making a simple bow from it for my first project. I understand its very much on the small side, but I've also read a good deal about it still being possible to make. I could easily order some staves, but I have a strange facination for these simple "stick bows" and am really leaning towards that style of the craft. The sapling is slightly over an inch wide, 64.5", free of any branches (there are some bumps from old leaf scars) and relatively straight. I decided on which side would be the belly, snapped a line and rasped it down a bit. I left 4" untouched in the middle for the handle. I scraped the bark off the back and very carefully peeled the cambium off with my fingers. Its been clamped to a 2x4 and I did my best to line it up straight. I may have to do a little steaming later to line it up perfectly. Pictures down below.

Questions/thoughts:
I'm afraid it may be on the short side (64.5) for the stress it will endure. If I could have cut it longer, I would have. Finding anything over 1" with this species is really tough due to Dutch elm disease.

Can I recurve the tips a little bit?

Do I have to back it? I really don't want to..

I've read that decrowing is a myth?

My draw is 28"

Honestly, Im looking at this as simply a learning experience. Its a win to me, regardless of the outcome. A bow in the hand would be a bonus. It'll be good practice attempting to tiller this thing and hopefully learning how to do a leather handle wrap and nock overlays.

So anyway.. Talk to me. Thanks!

[ccase39]

I don’t have any advice to give but I sure look forward to seeing you do it. Someone will point you in the right direction. I get the simplicity.

[SLIMBOB]

Guy by the handle of Thunder was making elm sapling bows and his were very cool. You can look him up for pics and descriptions on what he does with these. Bendy handle, that length should work for 28 inches.

[TimBo]

Yep, Thunder has posted several from very similar saplings.  Look him up under Members, then hit "Show Posts" and "Topics".  I definitely know what you mean about leaning towards stick bows!

[KnapperJay]

Thank you for the responses, hopefully I will get a little more feedback. I looked up every post Thunder made about these elm saplings and it was quite helpful. He mentions that he heat treats his, although it was a little vague. From my understanding, heat treating is only done on the belly, not the whole bow, correct? I have a heat gun that will come in handy for this..

[snedeker]

You can decrown it a bit.  Elm is nice to work with heat so yes, you can bend the tips some.  And that length is plenty.
Dave

[SLIMBOB]

Yes, heat only the belly.  It will harden up the belly forcing the back to work harder.  Less set to the belly as a result.  You can certainly bend the tips if you wish.  I do it as I am heat treating the belly all in one go.

[simson]

here are some of mine, maybe helpful: http://primitive-bows.com/tag/elm/

[KnapperJay]

Those are amazing simpson, thank you.

[hoosierf]

I’ll tell you what I like to do with a stave like that.  Put blocks under your tips and in the center under the handle. Then put a good soaking of linseed oil on the belly and take a propane torch to the belly and turn it black. Don’t let it catch fire but get that belly good and scorched. At the same time clamp your tips past the blocks to create little static recurves but don’t go crazy without steam. You can also straighten that little jog in the top limb while you are heating it. Then leave it in that clamped state for about a week. It should be much lighter by then. Then you can start to thin it and floor tiller. When you are scraping belly wood you may see the wood get darker after you’ve scraped away the black scorched wood and you are working the white underneath. That always looks like moisture still in the wood to me so I don’t bend it for a couple of days and I start floor tillering again. If moisture comes up during your next session then rest it for a few days again. It might take one session like this and it might take more. Just rest that stave between each scraping so you are bending dry wood. Once I am satisfied with the floor tiller I give it a light golden brown heat treatment, rest again, and you are ready to tiller. You can probably get a bow out of that stave in two to three weeks. As for the stave being narrow just don’t try to ge a 55# bow out of it. Shoot for low to mid forties and I think you’ll have a dandy shooter that doesn’t take much set. Just make sure the wood is dry before you bend it. I like to rest mine suspended between two chairs with only the tips touching them. You will get a nice bit of backset that way. Good luck.

[willie]

cool way to learn some tricks and skills without too much at risk.it think you have one of the best woods for small diameter staves.
post some more as you go along, and if it becomes a NA primitive design, Thunders "showcase" thread can use a revival from time to time.

[meanewood]

I have made many Elm sapling bows, even some as small in diameter as yours.

What I would do is leave the back alone, no de-crowning.

Go for an even bend tiller, no stiff handle.

The belly is reduced and left flat, no rounding at all.

This will mean the back is working very hard in tension and you are reducing the compression stress on the belly which is flat , thereby sharing that compression over the whole of the belly surface area!

Once you have completed the tiller and drawn to 28in, you can slightly round the edges on the belly using sandpaper only!

Do this in the handle area to make it comfortable to hold and slightly sanding the other edges reduces the risk of knocking off a splinter accidentally.

You 'may' reduce set and increase the draw weight slightly if you heat treat the belly only.

I would do it in three stages

1 - Light heat after getting the tiller looking good at brace height, then let it cool at least 2 hours.

2 - Light heat after good tiller at 18-20in, allow to cool.

3 - Medium heat after final tiller to 28in.

Good luck

[KnapperJay]

Thank you for such a detailed response, meanewood. I will definitely take all of that into consideration. I will post a bit more as I move along, especially when I get to the tillering. Ive been studying a lot of pictures and reading the bible regarding that, but my eyes are having a tough time seeing the actual issues that are pointed out. In due time of course. Back to the books..

[sleek]

Meanewood has good advice. However im gonna say never have sharp edges, soon as one is made, sand or file before bending. Sharp edges will cut ypu, and will lift splinters.