ELB layout

[Steve Milbocker]

I've been searching for a layout plan for an ELB that I'd like to build out of this piece of Osage I have. I'd like to get 50-55#. The info I've seen is kind of vague. I don't have a lot of experience and what I have built to date are all flat bows so I'm not sure where to begin. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Badger]

  Steve, there are plenty of guys on here that have more experience at elbs than I do so take it for what it is worth. I probably build about 3 or 4 a year. Elbs are interesting becaue they require you meet the 5/8 rule with a rounded belly. If you were to build a 70" bow @55# with osage it would not require much width, but at the same time if you went too narrow it would twist sideways. The way you compensate for that on an elb is to create a more eyptical tiller. I don't like anything that long under 1 1/8" wide at the very minimum.

   I use my own mass theory on elbs, at 55# and 70" long it would ask for a 15.5 oz mass weight using a full arc of the circle tiller. By changing the tiller shape you can change the projected mass figure to something more reasonable for that length like maybe 19 oz. Keeping the mass in line helps a lot with stability and handshock.

  as for layout I use a very slight taper on the first inner 1/3 maybe a 1/16" on the next 1/3  I might use 1/8" and then I taper the tips to about 3/8.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Do you have the Bowyers Bibles Steve M? There is a recipe for a yew ELB in there. You wouldn't have to tweak those numbers much.

[Steve Milbocker]

My buddy does. I'll get them and check it out.

[Pat B]

Here is one I did a few years ago. I think I used the directions in TBBI or one of my other books. The hardest part of the whole process was making the horn nocks and getting them to fit right.

[Dances with squirrels]

Nice curves, Pat.

[Steve Milbocker]

Really nice bow Pat thanks for posting it. What are the specs?

[PEARL DRUMS]

i dont remember that one Pat? Very nice.

[wizardgoat]

If you went 68-70" long, you could go about 1" for the inner 3rd, then taper to your tips from there.
Post some pics and specs of your stave, some staves don't have every style of bow in them

[Steve Milbocker]

I haven't figured out how to get pics small enough for this site with an iPhone yet

[Pat B]

That sounds about right, Goat.   It was a few years ago and I don't have that bow anymore but most of my bows are 55#@26" or so.

[Del the cat]

My best advice is keep the tips wide initially and forget the rounded belly stuff until it's coming back to about 20", think of it a being rectangular with the corners taken off.
I've not worked much Osage so I won't try to give figures. Don't worry about the 5/8 thing, it has to be pretty thin an wide to miss that.
Also make it an inch longer at each end that you plan for. The extra inch and extra tip width all give you some wriggle room if it starts to try and go sideways on you.
It's not so far away from an what you guys call a longbow, just no deep grip of cut away, the belly is rounded a tad more and it's a bit longer.
I'll bet if you measure some of your bows they will be inside the 5/8 "rule" anyway.
Del

[Steve Milbocker]

Thank you Del,That sounds like good advice. I've been checking out your site and videos, great stuff and beautiful bows.I never really thought about my European heritage in relationship to Primitive bows, now I am. While most of my descendants were German-Austrian my grandmother was English, born in East Sussex. Thank you all for your replies.

[mullet]

Pat, that's not the 90# you had at the first Camp-o-Rama?

[Pat B]

James has that one, Eddie. 95#@30"  I couldn't shoot it so I gave it away...like James needs another bow.