Author Topic: Elb dimensions  (Read 1119 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline wood_bandit 99

  • Member
  • Posts: 197
  • Shoot straight my friends!!   55#@26"
Elb dimensions
« on: December 16, 2013, 01:37:31 am »
There is a poor man's yew stave that a friend wants to give away for $25 which i thought crappy yew is better than no yew and am thinking of buyin it. It has 19 rpi and is 2" wide the whole stave and a few inches thick and 72 inches long. I was thinking $25 is a fair price but want to make a elb out of it. It wouldn't have to be the specific ratio of width to thickness but it would still have that cross section. What dimensions should it be? 1.25" at handle tapering to 3/4" 8 inches from the handle and make it 55-65 lbs and 66" long. Does it sound good or too wide or long?
"Judge a man by his questions, not his answers" ~Anonymous

   "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it." ~Chinese Proverb

Offline bubby

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,054
Re: Elb dimensions
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2013, 03:39:40 am »
go 1 1/4" square, 4" handle 1 1/2" fades straight taper to 1/2" tips, same taper on the belly, bub
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline Del the cat

  • Member
  • Posts: 8,322
    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: Elb dimensions
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2013, 11:21:59 am »
Make it longer at least 70" IMO. 72" is a reasonable start... you can always cut it shorter... especially as you near final tiller and put on decent nocks. The clue is in the name  ;) :laugh:
66" is ok if you are 5'4" tall and drawing 24-26"...
Keep the tips a bit wider with temporary wooden overlays glued on the back. This allows for sideways adjustment to stop twist and keep the string line right. They can try and go sideways on you especially if there is some reflex.
Once it's back to about 20" you can start narrowing the tips.

I normally mark 'em up at about 30mm square over the centre section then the ends tapering to about 20mm square. The final stages of tillering slim the tips right down.
If you are not sure of the quality of the wood go for a slightly wide flatter belly more like this 'D' rather than a steeply arched one.
Del
« Last Edit: December 16, 2013, 11:26:19 am by Del the cat »
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline toomanyknots

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,132
Re: Elb dimensions
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2013, 01:14:57 pm »
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair