Hollow limb

[DC]

Has anyone made a hollow limb design with Elderberry? It seems like a good starting point with the large pith but will the wood take it?

[leonwood]

Yes I have, this one is my favorite: http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,61803.msg864257.html#msg864257

Also did a 54 inch bendy hld just for fun but did not post that one here. I really like working elderberry and it makes really snappy bows
I have several elder staves ready and one roughed out to work on after my holiday

[DC]

Great, that's something for me to copy. Now hopefully out Black Elder is as good.

[leonwood]

It is the same tree I think, sambucus nigra. Don’t go for the big ones, they usually have rot issues

[simson]

Yep, here's mine:
http://primitive-bows.com/elderberry-hld-4028-no-37/

[DC]

OK It looks like I can reduce the draw weight by making the wall thinner or trimming some off the edges. Is one preferred over the other? The edges seem to be much faster but kind of gets rid of some of the "hollow".

[George Tsoukalas]

When I was 12 y/o, people said I did when I couldn't stop eating and got tall fast. Jawge

[DC]

I went through the same thing."Boy, you must have a hollow leg!"

[upstatenybowyer]

I'm no expert DC, but I have made one successful HLD and broken many more. 

I think it depends on what the limbs look like prior to reducing weight. If the walls are pretty thick, thinning them is probably the way to go cause you want them thin enough to move during the draw. However, if the walls are already thin enough to move, taking wood off the top of them makes more sense.

I'd really try to avoid making the walls too thin, cause the wood will definitely split there. Trust me. 

[simson]

DC maybe here is some useful info for you:

http://primitive-bows.com/hld-a-new-progressive-design-for-selfbows/