winged elm self bow

[BowEd]

Hello all.....I finally got ahold of some more winged elm,but I'm still hawking around for more.....ha ha.I seem to like that wood a bunch.The bow started out being 65" long but as the build went along some bug damage was revealed out on one of the tips.Luckily no other bug damage was revealed.Keeping the bow symmetrical I lopped off 3" off each end making it a 59" TTT bow.Made it close to 1 and 7/8" wide at the fades.I tillered it to 25" @ 51#'s.
I gave it around 3" of reflex and it retained at least half of that through tillering and shooting it in.A very mallable type wood I must say again.I took out a number of whoop tee doos on this bow not getting all of them quite completely out but good enough for me.One tip [top limb] kinda looks bending too much but it's pretty much just the hump of a whoop tee doo still intact.
I've always wanted to dye a bow green so here was my chance.Gave it some black highlites then too.I used some alcohol dyes.
Handle is wrapped with rawhide lace.Tips are overlayed with split antler tine on some pin nocked tips.Arrow pass is my usual slightly raised horn dot.Used some green wool for colorful silencers.Gave it a matte spar varnish wood finish.
I taped off marked some of my 30" arrows and shot it in the last few days.With it being so wide at the fades I was able to carve the handle to within an 1/8" of being center shot.Hits exactly where I'm looking at 15 to 20 yards with quite a few different arrows I had on hand.A right snappy shooter.This bow will more than likely go to a deer hunter in the ozarks of Missouri who has a 25" draw.
Bug damage on tip











So far this is the only full draw pic I've got.I'll get Robin to handle the camera later for a better in hand picture.Top limb to the left.

[Will B]

Beautiful winged elm selfbow Ed!  Love the stain job and the antler overlays on the pin nock tips. Tiller looks spot on like all your bows. Thanks for posting!  Will

[Morgan]

I like it Ed! How does winged elm compare to American elm side by side do you think? I sure like American elm.

[organic_archer]

I love a good elm bow! The colors really pop. Nice work!

[Bob Barnes]

Ed, thank you for posting this bow.  It's good for everyone to see what a nice hunting bow should look like...it's also good to see that 'stuff' happens, and that you just need to make what you have work.  The dye job is excellent, and I have done a few and know how hard the 'fading' of colors can be.  The tips are unique and very functional, and they look great too.  I look forward to a picture of the bow with a nice deer this season.     

[Gimlis Ghost]

Excellent workmanship and what looks to be a very nice piece of wood to start with.
I hope I can do as well one day.

I've found that when a piece of wood doesn't take a wood stain well leather dye can do wonders.
To get a even deep color on wood when using any stain or dye I have had very good results by thinning the dye or stain with alcohol or water for water based stains. After each of many applications any part of the wood surface that is more porous than the rest will hold the soaked in thinned dye and remain damp while the rest dries out. On each following application the driest portion of the surface will soak up more than the still damp portion so in the end the coloration will be very even.

[BowEd]

Thanks fellas.
I've found the red and american elm locally to not be what winged elm is for self bows although they all live up to their tough and elastic reputation.They just don't have the density as osage.It's their difference in density that seperates them and is more so evident within the elm species than any other wood I've found.The harder it is the more extreme designs I can put on them.
I've read they consider winged elm and the like to be a hard or rock elm.I also have a labeled winged elm bow grown in south carolina that's considerably harder than this one.The limbs can be made narrower then.All benefit from the heat.The winged elm gives it's identity away by the corkish raised veins on it's twigs.They are all subject to the dutch elm disease I understand.
It looks like a nice piece of wood now after heat treatment and adjustments.Before hand not so much.End grain will always soak in more dye than flat or edge grain wood.With woods like hickory and elm it is more so evident.It's the early wood that does that.I like to take advantage of that for a more varigated camoflauge look.
Deer season is just around the corner now.I wish everyone the best of luck.

[superdav95]

Love the look of this thing.  Very nice!

[AndrewS]

Nice bow. I like the handle style of this "holmegaard style" bow

[Selfbowman]

Another fine bow Ed. I also like the stain. Makes your eyes look blue if your Arvin.

[Stixnstones]

Cool lookin bow, looks like a smooth shooter

[BowEd]

Thanks fellas.
Dyeing bows is usually not my forte but going for smooth shooting bows is.Getting the right darker colored forest green took a little mixing and testing of colors.This one draws pretty smooth.Although with the shortened power stroke of 18" the gain is a bit more per inch [almost 1/2 pound] than with a 21" power stroke and a 28" draw.That's with a 7" to the back brace height of course.
I have a 6'6" wing span so pulling to the corner of my mouth with a slightly bent bow arm gets me my 28".I'm sure the fella in Missouri will like it with his 25" draw anchor.

[Marc St Louis]

Nice bow. 

I've only worked with Winged Elm once and was not impressed with the wood

[BowEd]

Thanks Marc.....
As far as I can figure I've only made bows from 4 different types of elms.The winged elm from south carolina was definitely denser than the one from arkansas.The elm growing around me is sub standard compared to those.
Quite a varied diversity in density's within the elm species.Doing a specific gravity density test is an indicator besides how it feels in the hand.
The wider it needs to be for a 50# draw weight is a good indicator also all bows being the same length of course.

[loefflerchuck]

Awesome bow, and nice brain tan. I’m looking for a new hide.