ELB question???

[Ifrit617]

Hey everyone,

Quick question about ELBS.. What was the front profile like on them traditionally?? Did the limbs straight taper from handle to tips or were the sides parallel to mid limb or farther then taper to the tips?? Also were side nocks from either horn or wood primarily used?? Any help would be great.. Thanks..

Jon

[Del the cat]

The front profile is basically a straight taper but it looks slightly rounded as it gets a little bit extra narrow towards the tip where the nock fits.
The 'inflated taper' look shows up more on very heavy draw weight bows. I saw a 170# bow in use a while back which was pretty fat, but tapered considerably faster over the last third giving the curvyed taper look. Note the side profile is pretty much the same, and the cross secion varies from 'classic' D to squareish with rounded corners to almost round. Avoid the nasty looking fades upto the handle unless you want it to look 'modern' or Victorian.
I would dn't try side nocks in wood. Conventional nocks just cut into the side of the bow are fine even in Yew (IMO) I have heard people say it's a prob in high draw weight bows, and obviously if you go for self nocks you would leave some extra meat on the tip.
I've only done side nocks once (see my website, click the globe symbol under my username) they are ok, a bit easier to do than 'conventional' horn ELB nocks, but still fiddly to try to get the groove as nice as possible .
Del

[druid]

A lot of english archers said something like this:
The handle is offset 3 cm up and 7 cm down from the median line (middle of the bow).

The width will be say 35 mm. Now 10 cm up and down from handle the width will be the same.
Then the tapper goes to the tips, but as if the tips were about 22 mm wide.
15 cm to the tips, the taper goes abruptly to the 12,7 mm (1/2).

This last taper is clearly visible.

Thickness tapper in comparition is rather straight, without any raised handle.
I quoted here Jaro, from some old post.

[Hrothgar]

Good advice in the previous 2 posts. Also, its my understanding that in English re-enactment societies and traditional archery clubs that the limb taper should follow a 5:8 ratio. In other words, if the bow is 1" wide (16/16 ths) then the depth has to be at least 5/8" (10/16 ths) and this ratio or taper must be maintained from handle to tip.

[Ifrit617]

Thanks guys.. I got what i needed to know...

[Del the cat]

Good advice in the previous 2 posts. Also, its my understanding that in English re-enactment societies and traditional archery clubs that the limb taper should follow a 5:8 ratio. In other words, if the bow is 1" wide (16/16 ths) then the depth has to be at least 5/8" (10/16 ths) and this ratio or taper must be maintained from handle to tip.

That 5:8 ratio is a minimum acording to some 'definitions' of a longbow, such definitions are dubious as they insist on horn nocks which is daft.
the point of the regulation is to exclude flatter section bows.
Mine are more like 4:5
To compare like with like 5/8 is 25/40 where my ratio of 4/5 is  32/40
I've never actually worried about the ratio, I rough 'em out at about 1:1 initially then tiller the belly.
Only time I've ever got near the flatter ratio is when making kids bows.
Del