72" elm warbow 110# @30"

[JNystrom]

Hello fellow bowyers. Here is my first true success in the field of warbows. I finished the bow on january i guess, so its not really that fresh.

Wych elm from Finland, 40x29mm in the handle and draws 110# @30". Its mass is 830g. The stave's shape was originally all wonky and it still is even though i straightened it a bit. Its really clean piece of elm otherwise, so it was kinda easy bow to make. It took some set (1.5") since it was originally after heat treating 110# @28", but its still something i cant pull fully yet. The wood itself is quite light, so it was good choice to leave it wide.
I'll attach here a picture of the bow drawn in the tiller tree at Eirik's place in Norway. I can pull this bow only to 28" by hand.

I'll perhaps take this bow with me to Wales nextweek, when we gather for the UK bowyers camp!

[FilipT]

Cool bow! Does that kink in the right limb causes problems, it looks like a hinge?

[JNystrom]

Thanks! Nah, its ok. Its a natural curve there that just got to bend too. Set is a good indicator the tiller is right. I steamed some reflex off and after heat treatment it was straight - now it has 1,5" of set after shooting. Its pretty moist here in Finland atm, 55% rh.
I'll take a non braced pic of the sideview, it shows the curve in the top limb.

[Del the cat]

Woo, some nice character on that! Always tricky to judge the tiller on those wonky staves.
I do love a good wonky warbow, good job 
Del

[Hawkdancer]

Neat!  I could maybe pull 110# about 3"(7cm?)!  I agree with Del, I like those wonky bows, but then I'm a bit wonky, too !  Good job!
Hawkdancer

[JNystrom]

Thanks again! Yep, i like some curves also... And actually they are not that hard to tiller once you get couple of them right.
I have some more warbows to post as soon i just get pictures taken. 140# osage and about 160# really knotty elm, those are funky.

[FilipT]

I don't get it how that kink can survive forces while bending?

[JNystrom]

Its magic... Well, how do wonky wood stand in the forest?? Do you think the already bent part shouldnt bend?

[FilipT]

It seems to me that these kind of kinks could easily become hinges if not careful. That is the the thing that worries me.

[DC]

I would think it would be the opposite. Because it's already bent(in deflex) the tendency would be to leave it and it would be stiff. The bends on either side of the kink are a different story

[FilipT]

Yeah, I would personally also leave it alone if I would have wood of this shape. These bows kind look kind of wild and cool but I haven't seen much wood around that would be suitable for making this kind of bows. Either they are enough straight (or need just a bit of steaming) or they are completely unusable haha!

[JNystrom]

First of all i don't want to be rude, i want to make this more clear , so... it isn't really easy to make this kind of spot into a hinge. It's just like any other piece of that bow!!
I think DC means, the problem is opposite: people don't work these areas enough. For many years we have worked bows to look like a circle and now we need to make a totally different shape than we are used to. Sure its hard, but you just got to try if you want to succeed, otherwise you have a lumpy bad bow with thick spots. Taking pictures and comparing them to relaxed shape helps alot.
You should definitely go and try this kind of staves if you happen to have a chance, its quite nice and exciting - compared to easy, almost board like straight staves.
You just need to remember, make the whole bow bend! Thats easy!! 

[meanewood]

Here is a classic example of a well tiller ed bow that does not please the eye, if your eye is biased to seeing an even 'looking' bend.

The question to ask is why do you tiller a bow?

Answer: To ensure the whole of the bow is bending evenly, thereby sharing the stress and lessening the chance of failure at an over
stressed area!

So, when tillering you need to take into account the re-flexed and de-flexed areas of the bow in your assessment of how the bow is bending.

If you tiller a bow that has de-flexed and or re-flexed areas and you tiller with the aim of creating an 'even' bend, then you are not
spreading the strain evenly!

PS Nice bow, love the bend!

[FilipT]

You should definitely go and try this kind of staves if you happen to have a chance, its quite nice and exciting - compared to easy, almost board like straight staves.
You just need to remember, make the whole bow bend! Thats easy!! 

I will definitely try to make this kind of bow, but first I must find suitable wood. Like I said, wood around here is either good enough with no kinks or completely unusable for bows.

[JNystrom]

Thanks meanwood!