White Wood ENGLISH Long Bow Challenge

[Kegan]

I'll be backing it with cotton (all I've got on hand). It's got a drying check on the back that runs off one tip. I had some success with heavy unbacked sass once, but due to poor tillering snapped before completion.

Should I temper the belly?

[Sidewinder]

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all the exchanges. It seems to me this one will be ongoing for a while ,so after I get a couple more osage bows under my belt I may start looking for some white wood I could do an ELB with. I know that I love Hickory in the winter but when spring and summer comes around here in kansas they can lose some weight like has happened with the Virgin Hickory I made for my first bow. It went from 58# at my 26.5 draw length, down to about 44#. It still shoots good its just alot lower weight. I think that HHB would sure be nice if I can run up on a stave or two. I haven't heard it being as moisture sensitive as hickory. Then maybe I could make an HHB ELB PDQ.LOL   Danny

[D. Tiller]

LOL, PDQ w/HBB? 

[radius]

you guys crack me up!

[longfletch]

i was cutting a few saplings for this challenge today, im having a hard time finding an id for this one, any body have a clue???

[radius]

dude, that ax needs a little help!

[longfletch]

i havent found anything to stop that axe so far, 8 yrs of riding in the bed of my truck has taken a toll on her beauty, but...pretty dont pull the plow bro

[radius]

true enough....as long as it's sharp, right?  the edge is all it needs...

[ThimoS]

elm. My favorite. That's what you got there.

[ThimoS]

I've made sasafrass backed and unbacked. The unbacked ones haven't blown yet.

The trouble I've had on 60% of the staves were worm holes. After locating and exterminating the sob-eez I felt backing was my best bet. I used linen.

[longfletch]

great, thanks thimo.

i saw a straight sycamore im gonna cut soon and  give a try, i have made elbs from river birch and sweetgum. the birch came out too light which was my fault prob. the sweetgum fretted some and took set, but i wrapped the frets with sinew and it still shoots, but is not the best preformer.
i want to find a long straight piece of am. holly also, i have made some good flatbows and d bows from that.

bryan

[Badger]

Well, I started on mine this morning, going to use a very heavy wood like ipe, instead of having a target draw weight in mind I just built it to the smallest feasable demension and will let the mass weight dictate the poundage. roughed out it weighs 22 oz so i suspect it will weigh around 20 oz by the time it is near brace tiller demensions. This should put me around 60# with a slighlty elyptical tiller. Going to glue it up right now so tomorrow it should be ready to tiller. The outer limbs look a bit too narrow to hold 60# but I will give it a go. Instead of a straight taper from the handle to the tips I used a progressive taper dividing the limbs up into 1/3's. .015 per inch from the handle then .025 per inch mid limb and .035 per inch in the outer limb to the tips.

[Rich Saffold]

Steve, I presume you found some good Ipe in your area. I'm sure those here realize this bow isn't for the challenge..hopefully we could be judging this at Mojam next summer, something like that would be fun...Whitewood bows in that humidity is a good challenge and something we can benefit from..

Rich-has a 6' piece of slippery elm for mine...

[Badger]

Richard, for the challenge I want to build a maple bow about 1 1/8 wide 72" long. As much weight as I can get probably about 55 to 60#. I couldn't find any maple in my lumber pile so thought I would try the tapers out on some ipe. I like the overall taper but think it might be better starting from a slightly wider width maybe 1 1/8. Kind of looks like one of your bows. Steve

[Rich Saffold]

We have this 35' or so tall shagbark maple tree on the back part of our patio, and the other day I hear this noise, and the tree guy is in the basket trimming it.! I got 3 nice branches from it..Never used this maple, but I think its gonna work..The tree guys thought I was nuts, until I showed them a bow, and spoke to them in my broken Spanish...

I'll probably do the same as you mentioned with the maple..I should be able to get 72" from two of them..

I just got a call, and am getting some winged elm as well.  I like this stuff too!

Rich-