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Author Topic: Elm Self Bow, take #2  (Read 6990 times)

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Offline Stickhead

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Elm Self Bow, take #2
« on: January 20, 2021, 12:41:52 pm »
Hey, All,

I posted my first elm self bow a while back that I had made for a friend.  However, it had a weak area in the bottom limb that progressively got worse as I kept shooting it in.  After studying my old pics, I should have seen it coming.  I ended up scrapping the bow as it is way out of tiller and doomed to failure.  I learned a lot about elm and the effects of heat-treating on it, so I'll chalk it up to experience.

Anyway, I started over for my friend's bow and came up with this new and improved version.  I made it a little longer than the last, and I was more careful with the tiller, armed with a better understanding of elm.  I heat-treated it on the caul Marc-style, and slowly tillered it to the desired weight.  I tried making some Weylin-style ridges on the fades just 'cuz.  I pretty much ended up with the profile I was shooting for.  Here are the particulars:

66" NTN
1-3/4" at fades, down to 7/16" tips
40# @ 28" (my full draw pic is a few inches short of that)
Pet store water buffalo tip overlays
Turtle scale at arrow pass
Leather rest and grip
Faded aniline dye job
Holds 2" of back set after use



























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Offline Del the cat

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2021, 01:26:39 pm »
Very handsome looking bow :)
Del
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Offline Hawkdancer

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2021, 01:30:24 pm »
Very nice!  Neat arrowhead, too!
Hawkdancer
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Offline Allyn T

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2021, 02:18:20 pm »
I dig it
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Offline simk

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2021, 02:34:30 pm »
Sure everything nice about - profile, tiller, tips, leather, fades - I like everything about it  (-S
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Offline HH~

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2021, 02:48:52 pm »
Good looking rig Stick.

Shawn~
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Offline IdahoMatt

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2021, 02:57:48 pm »
Good lookin bow.  Love the soft reflex
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Offline Will B

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2021, 03:05:27 pm »
Beautiful bow!  Really like that profile. Great bend like all your bows. Thanks for posting this one.
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Offline diliviu

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2021, 03:21:09 pm »
Elegant pyramid Eiffelish bow! Should shoot hard.
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Offline Arrowbuster

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2021, 05:51:55 pm »
Awesome looking bow! Nice work.
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Offline Tradslinger

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2021, 05:59:00 pm »
nothing quite like a sleek beautiful stickbow. graceful and downright sweet. I had planned on putting a swell on my handle but this bow screams perfect on the handle. your friend should be super excited to get this bow. I know I would be. you learned very well Sir.
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Offline PaSteve

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2021, 04:54:15 am »
Really nice bow. Love the aniline dye job. I'm still trying to figure out how to blend the dye. It appears you have it figured out. Well done all the way around.
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2021, 07:37:32 am »
Looks good.
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Offline bentstick54

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2021, 08:25:23 am »
Good looking bow. Well done sir.
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Offline Stickhead

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Re: Elm Self Bow, take #2
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2021, 08:26:10 am »
Thanks for the kind words, guys!

Quote from: PaSteve on January 21, 2021, 04:54:15 am
Really nice bow. Love the aniline dye job. I'm still trying to figure out how to blend the dye. It appears you have it figured out. Well done all the way around.

I use 3 plastic containers for the blending.  I put a bunch of dye into about 2 oz of water such that it's quite dark.  Then I pour half of that into the next container and add 1 oz of water.  Then again for the third container, so that each is 50% more dilute than the last.  I brush it on starting with the darkest, leaving whispy brush strokes for the transition.  Overlap with the 2nd dilution, then again with the third.  I use fine steel wool to blend in the final dye edge into the raw wood.

Some recommend using alcohol instead of water, because water tends to make the grain stand up.  I didn't notice it much with this elm, though.  At any rate, after the dye dries, I burnish the whole bow smooth with a polished stone before applying true oil for the finish.
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