whitewood ELB

[Kegan]

What steps should be taken to make sure a whitewood ELB doesn't turn out to be a dud? I'm refering to a 6', 28" draw bow. Would making it slightly wider and tempering the belly be enough?

[Mattco]

I like working with hickory- shagbark and mockernut. I recently finished a ELB 72" nock to nock - 52lb @ 27". It is 7/8" at the handle - 1 1/4"wide 4" from the center of the handle - tapers to 3/8" at the tips. no hand shock. I've shot over 100 arrows so far and it still returns to about 1/2" reflex. Give it a try - white wood is a little easier for me to come by and is usually free.
Matt

[Rich Saffold]

Kegan, Humidity is a factor as well..Most (all) whitewoods like dry air both when crafted and where they are shot..I just picked up some Hickory at Mojam for a friend who lives in drier air than me, and both staves picked up an inch of reflex by the time I unpacked them here in S. Cal..

It's easy to see why whitewoods are second fiddle in the humid midwest, but out west its a whole different story..

I plan on bending my next elm longbow into an r/d profile with perhaps an inch of net reflex while tempering the belly..

Rich

[adb]

Whitewoods won't make a true ELB. They excel at wider limbed flatbows. If you want a true ELB, yew or osage is king, but I'm sure you know that already!

[Pat B]

If I'm not mistaken, elm and ash were used for ELBs during their hay day.      Pat

[Cromm]

Hi,
Give my a day or so and i will post some pics of Ash ELB's that work just great for me........

[adb]

OOOpsy... I forgot about ash! My bad.

[YewArcher]

I have made quite a few ash elbs. I have tempered all the bellys and the turn out pretty darn good. I would say make the bow longer, wider and more square the you would normally do an elb. On my white woods I really just eae the edges of the section profile as opossed to really D sectioning them. This will help it take minimal set.

SJM

[Kegan]

Thanks everyone. I wasn't intending of making a true replica, but a good bow with similiar shooting characteristics from the wood I have on hand (nothing that dense or elastic).

I was intending to build it 1 3/4" wide limb, 1 3/8" wide handle, 72" long, slightly radiused belly (heat tempered) instead of a deep D, and *hopefully* pulling about 80# or more at 28" (my draw is 27.5"). Made from shagbark hickory, hornbeam, or as a last resort, elm (elm would probably only be about 70#).

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

But thank you very much adb3112 for telling us that only ash, osage and yew make ELB's,....better call Thimo now and tell him not to send me the 90# ELM elb he just made me.

[Rich Saffold]

Impressive ADB..tell us more...

[sailordad]

cant say that i agree that yew and osage are the kings for elb's.

can only say that my ipe elb shoots real sweet,fast,accurate,no noticable handshock.i would have to say you would need to include ipe into "the kings of elb's"

cant say any thing about the whitewoods either,havent made an elb from anything else yet.come fall and a friend cuts down his huge sugar maple i get a bunch of it for bows. i'll make a point to make  an elb from it.

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

my very first bow was made from a maple stave. had a slightly crouned belly, and it didnt chryssal. needless to say it wasnt tillered very well, but i just thought id throw that out there.

Phil

[mullet]

    Hmmm,, I made a hard shooting ELB from Hickory. even with the humidity down here.

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

NAh, Ha Ediie,.....maybe I should tell this pappy it ain't dead, because the ELB is neither Osage, Yew, or Ash