Short elm preview

[PatM]

I agree Lukasz - this rule of thumb is dead right.
I also agree with Badger,I've made quite a few like this and without deflexing the fades you will likely lose a fair bit of that shape. I feel that once the wood starts to break down you are fighting losing battle for a good flight bow. I've found it better top add the deflex for less net reflex but you keep more of what you start with and more importantly the wood isn't breraking down.
Good luck - it will be nteresting to hear what distances you get with it.

 Maybe so but none of the 500 plus yard wood/sinew bows from the past appear to have been deflexed in any way.

[Danzn Bar]

Hey PatM,
Have you braced that sucker yet.  Bet it's tough to string.....
DBar

[PatM]

I have to confess that I don't have enough sinew at the moment to proceed.

[mikekeswick]

Ok you'll see
I've made a few like this from elm and was just relaying my experience. I hope you manage to keep this profile. How many of these old bows were made from elm?
500 yds is a good challenge.

[PatM]

The point is that nobody is coming close with ANY wood.
 Remember back in the day only Osage and Yew actually worked for bows.

[Badger]

   Pat, to be fair to the current generation of flight archers we are playing by slightly different rules. The elevated rests and vanes they were using make a huge difference in distance. I agree that holding the profile is critical, if the wood can stand up to it and the tillering is good he will have a good bow. It is a well proven design. I have built several bows that have a capablitiy of 500 yards, it is really not that big of a trick. Getting the arrow out clean and keeping it straight is the big trick.

   I had one las year I was practing with, not a flight bow just a run of the mill osage abow about 66" long. I got an arrow out very close to 400 yards because the flight was so clean. It just so happens that the string didn't line up very well on this bow and the arrow was about 1 1/2" to the right of the handle, there was a huge jump in the distances when elevated rests and fortisan fletches started being used.

[joachimM]

Steve, can you explain about the elevated rests?
Thx

[Badger]

    An elevated rest is collapseable. Feathers, long hair, brushes etc would all fall into the elevated rest category. I am in favor of allowing any natural material for a rest in the all wood division, changes are hard out of respect for past record holders. I don't see it that way, I believe if a rule is unduly holding back distances it should be changed and the sooner the better but thats just me and I respect the other opinions as well.

[Marc St Louis]

If you want some sinew Pat just let me know, I have plenty

P.S. I agree completely Steve

[PatM]

Thanks. I appreciate that. I'll pm my addy.

[BowEd]

Challenging project here to say the least.Good so far.I'll be watching.I've got a bit of extra elk leg sinew too if you need it.

[Knoll]

Thanks for using objects in your images to provide scale perspective. Good luck!

[JNystrom]

So, PatM, what was the outcome? I didn't get to see the pictures, so if you have some, i would be delighted to see.
Its an interesting design!

[Bob Barnes]

looks great... it will be fun to watch this one for sure.

[Badger]

   It should make a solid flight bow, I don't have any real practical experience with sinew outside of making a handful of them. I never really did any testing to speak of. I think a good portion of the draw weight on this type of bow needs to come from the sinew, it won't be so critical that the belly holds up if it has less responsibility. Almost impossible to over work the sinew.