White Wood ENGLISH Long Bow Challenge

[Kegan]

Thanks guys, I'm glad the tiller tunred out the way it did. Still off, but with the character (an undulation through the handle, a bunch of knots in one limb, and some crooks left and right). I want to start another one, slightly heavier, and hopefully unbacked. I just need to cut a tree here.

[Minuteman]

Kegan, I hate to break the news to you but that weight bow will send a broadhead tipped arrow through any critter in North America( barring some zoo animals)!
 Is it all sapwood?
  Have you done any testing with the heartwood yet to see what kinda qualities it has?
 I have access to a buncha sass. trees and I also have some 5 year old cured stuff in the barn.

[ThimoS]

Kegan great job. It came our perfect.

[Kegan]

Minuteman- No! Don't say that! I need monster bow ! What if bullet-proof alines attack ?

Thanks guys. The bow is both sapwood and heartwood. The sapwood on the sassafras around here is very thin on these smaller tress, so I just treat it like whitewood and leave the sapwood intact. It's only about 1/8" thick on this piece. On some of the larger tress it can be as much as 1/4", but no more. I think thsat the heartwood is only slightly better tan the sapwood, and that being in compression. This bow is a very pleasent bow to shoot, but needs a good deal of prettying up. I definately want to sart another one, unbacked. Just have to find a suitable tree to cut.

[PaulN/KS]

Well, I pulled the elm stave out of the rafters and it's a little more twisted than I had remembered...might be able to get an ELB out of it but maybe not. There is a bigger one out in the barn that I need to de-bark and check out next. I also have some maple planks that have been drying for about 24 years now. Maybe I'll try a board bow version...

[Kegan]

Well, I pulled the elm stave out of the rafters and it's a little more twisted than I had remembered...might be able to get an ELB out of it but maybe not. There is a bigger one out in the barn that I need to de-bark and check out next. I also have some maple planks that have been drying for about 24 years now. Maybe I'll try a board bow version...

The Thomspon borther's said to turn the satve into a board to let it dry. It'd definately keep the back nice and flat too .

[PaulN/KS]

By "turn the stave into a board" do you mean mill it out and square it up? Never tried that with a stave from a tree before...

[Kegan]

Somehing like that. I don't have it here, but it says to turn it into a "clear, sound billet" that's "3 inches square". He Later goes on to say the back should be perfectly flat and the rain should run from end to end- just as we know they should today on any board stave. And considering they were using lemonwood, snakewood, and lancewood bows form England, I doubt they shipped them there with the back ring full intact.

[PaulN/KS]

Not sure if a clean billet 3 inches square will be possible out of this elm. Might have to head to that maple. It is all flitch cut and over 20 years drying. Bout time I did something with it besides move it and stack it...

[sagitarius boemoru]

This is couple of my making, all within 5/8 rule.

105#/30" , small hornbeam overlays


90#/33" selfnock ash



90#/32" hornnock ash



120#/32" selfnock ash




Enjoy!

Jaroslav

[longfletch]

jaroslav, those look sweet!! and very powerful. do you mind sharing the specs of the bows?
bryan

[sagitarius boemoru]

The biggest is 37 mm wide and the smalest about 34 mm wide. The 120# bow has about 3 cm (little more than 1" set, others have that or less.

I shot the 120# bow at the weekend it sends 12 mm tapered ash shaft with very small bodkin, that weighing 52-55 gram at some 220 yards. It is rocket launcher.


Jaro

[Dano]

Very nice work Jaro. 120# 

[ThimoS]

Jaro. Great work as usual. And the guy shooting it proves you don't have to be the Hulk to shoot a warbow.


I'm beginning mine as of yesterday. It is out of elm.

[cracker]

Does anyone have any notions of how parsimmon would work for an ELB? I have a couple of huge trees on my property and was thinking of cutting one.R.C.