Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Matt A on June 28, 2012, 12:49:42 am

Title: bandsaw american elm
Post by: Matt A on June 28, 2012, 12:49:42 am

i cut a pretty big elm awhile back, took me two hours to split one of the logs in half >:(
so i took one of those halfs and sawed it into a quarter on the bandsaw.
now i scraped one quarter and my initial idea was to saw it into a simple pyramid, but i seen it had a little character. the stave is about 3 1/2 inches wide. Do I dare follow a grain line with a pencil and saw this in half again and start rasping away from here? I really don't wish to try splitting it agian, I might not get any bow at all then lol  ;D

Title: Re: bandsaw american elm
Post by: Badger on June 28, 2012, 12:56:58 am

Elm is one of the few woods I don't split, I just saw straight. Never had a problem with it.

Title: Re: bandsaw american elm
Post by: Matt A on June 28, 2012, 01:01:23 am

think i could saw like this and get 2 skinny character bows maybe??

Title: Re: bandsaw american elm
Post by: soy on June 28, 2012, 01:38:46 am

I have yet to make a bow of elm ...i to hated splitting it(even though it splits like butter  >:D)
So i ran it through the band saw and when i debarked it found that i had cut through a lot of character so from now on everything gets hand split...mine was red elm (minnesota osage  >:D)
It is almost dry, hope to try it out soon

Title: Re: bandsaw american elm
Post by: Josh B on June 29, 2012, 11:07:05 pm

Quote from: soy on June 28, 2012, 01:38:46 am

I have yet to make a bow of elm ...i to hated splitting it(even though it splits like butter  >:D)
So i ran it through the band saw and when i debarked it found that i had cut through a lot of character so from now on everything gets hand split...mine was red elm (minnesota osage  >:D)
It is almost dry, hope to try it out soon

Man!  I am never gonna live that 'minnesota osage' bit down! :-[ >:( >:( ;D.  But to the point at hand, with elm, I only split it down to the point where I can safely saw it.  I end up with more and better staves that way.   Josh

Title: Re: bandsaw american elm
Post by: mikekeswick on June 30, 2012, 09:55:07 am

Our elm splits well with only a few stringers. Of course it makes a big difference if it's green.
At 3 1/2 wide I would just get one perfect bow. Stiff handled flatbows, 66 inches from typical elm here need to be around 1 7/8ths wide at 60lb.

Title: Re: bandsaw american elm
Post by: Matt A on June 30, 2012, 11:18:09 am

gundoc, idk what it was but the tree was a beast to split. i was using one of those mammoth 14 lb. steel mauls and another 8 lb. maul and I broke the weld off on the handle of the 14 lb. one.