Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Marc St Louis on February 20, 2008, 08:00:28 pm

Title: Elm D bow
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 20, 2008, 08:00:28 pm

I had this bow that had been sitting on a shelf for several years.  I had made the bow as an experiment in flight shooting.  The bow was a recurved Elm D bow, it was 66" long and had been tillered to 50# @ 30".  Even though it shot well enough the recurves were too big and the bow was just too long for what was asked of it, this robbed performance.  In short I was not satisfied with the bow. Here is a picture of what the bow looked like originally

 I decided to other day to "fix" it.  I cut 7" from the length, 3 1/2" from each end which left a slight amount of the recurves.  I also waisted the handle a bit more than it was originally, everything else I left alone.  The bow turned out quite well and I am pleased with it.  It's now 59" long with limbs 1 5/8" wide and it pulls 60# @ 28".  It still has just a slight amount of recurves left over from the originals and it also has some reflex left, about 3" after being re-tillered and pulled to full draw many times.  In all it only took me a few hours to make the changes.  The end result is a much more attractive looking bow that has a much better feel to it.  The finish on this bow is a layered 3 part finish of Tung Oil, Shellac and Carnauba Wax.  Here is what the bow looks like now.




(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/Marc-St-Louis/Native%20Style%20Bows/Elm%20D%20Bow/BackandBelly.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/Marc-St-Louis/Native%20Style%20Bows/Elm%20D%20Bow/ElmBowbraced.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/Marc-St-Louis/Native%20Style%20Bows/Elm%20D%20Bow/100_0306.jpg)

My intention, originally was to not put overlays on this bow but I made one of my quick and easy strings out of Linen for this bow. The timber hitch at the one end literally crushed the nock by strangulation so I had to beef them up with the Desert Ironwood overlays. First time that ever happens to me

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: david w. on February 20, 2008, 08:03:16 pm

looks good i like it

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: wvfknapper on February 20, 2008, 08:13:24 pm

Nice bow and no set, what type of elm was it ?

wvflintknapper

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Sidewinder on February 20, 2008, 08:55:54 pm

Mark your work is inspiring to us new bowyers. I have heard good things about elm and hope to try some in the future.   Danny

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: snedeker on February 20, 2008, 09:00:20 pm

Mighty nice.  Once you start thinking of those redos, its hard not too.  The bow is already pretillered for you and yet you get an all new one.

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Kegan on February 20, 2008, 09:13:43 pm

Wow, that is an absolutley amazing bow- so simple, and yet so much craftsmanship :o!

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 20, 2008, 09:33:59 pm

Thanks for the compliments guys

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: El Destructo on February 20, 2008, 09:53:19 pm

A very nice looking Bow....I like it when a Bow is saved from a life in the Closet...and put back into use like that....Sharp Bow

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Kviljo on February 20, 2008, 10:09:36 pm

60# @ 28" and only 59" ntn. AND 3" reflex!

I'm always amazed by your bows! And find myself wondering HOW? :D

How much natural reflex did it have, and how much did you add with heat?

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: mamba on February 20, 2008, 10:12:54 pm

Simple but such nice curves.- - Name her marilyn monroe,she's a beauty Marc.

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive on February 20, 2008, 10:17:57 pm

looks excellent, your craftsmanship shows in every piece you touch- Ryan

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: DanaM on February 20, 2008, 10:33:04 pm

Looks great Marc, and I'm glad to see I'm not alone in scorching the back of a bow.

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: OldBow on February 20, 2008, 10:43:10 pm

Got your very respectible D bow all bookmarked, Marc! Very nice bow.

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: mullet on February 20, 2008, 11:05:13 pm

  I like it Marc, then again I like the way it looked before you changed it too. It turned into a cool looking bow.

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 20, 2008, 11:47:41 pm

Thanks again guys. I don't remember if it had any natural reflex to start with. It didn't lose any reflex to speak of after reworking the bow, besides what it lost from cutting the recurves down.

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Wulamoc on February 21, 2008, 12:25:34 am

You give new meaning to recycling!   Nice!!!  Wells

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Pat B on February 21, 2008, 01:02:16 am

Cool redo Marc.    Pat

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Justin Snyder on February 21, 2008, 01:17:16 am

Nice work Marc. I love the fact that you can turn out really nice bows of many different styles.  Justin

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: bowmo on February 21, 2008, 01:21:13 am

very cool...

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on February 21, 2008, 02:11:05 am

That is an outstanding bow! Well done. Jawge

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Keenan on February 21, 2008, 02:21:06 am

 Right on Mark, You did real good on the make over.Looked nice befor, but if it didn't perform well it probably wouldn't have been shot as much, and the simple clean ark looks sweet.  Keenan

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Pappy on February 21, 2008, 07:56:59 am

Very nice redo.Looks great.Excellent tiller. :)
   Pappy

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 21, 2008, 09:27:12 am

WV. I couldn't say for sure what kind of Elm this is, I've quit trying to identify them. I know it's not White Elm but probably a subspecies of Red Elm.

I've done worse to the back Dana but it's something I try to avoid when possible

I probably heated at least 7" of reflex in this bow initially. It still had close to 6" when I started modifying it and cutting the recurves down took out about 2" so it lost a bit of reflex re-tillering it.

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Woodland Roamer on February 21, 2008, 10:28:55 am

Really nice looking bow Marc. I really like the profile of that one.

Alan

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: donnieonetrack on February 21, 2008, 10:46:18 am

Great looking bow Mark, I'll be watching close in case this one goes up for sale.

take care,

Donnie

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: jamie on February 21, 2008, 12:03:26 pm

thats a beauty marc

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Dingleberry on February 21, 2008, 12:11:30 pm

nice one marc!

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: michbowguy on February 21, 2008, 01:33:46 pm

mac, i like the new look.
it looks real user friendly too.
great hunting bow.
jamie

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: cowboy on February 21, 2008, 02:03:28 pm

Nice redo! I kinda liked the looks of those original curves - I'd be scared to cut on anything I'd already finished. Consider myself lucky when I actually get a shooter :D. You make it look easy..

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 21, 2008, 07:44:38 pm

Thanks guys.

I kind of like the looks of this bow as well. Simple but it has an elegant look to it. The string tracks a bit off to one side of center so that will make it a bit more user friendly. I haven't shot it yet but it most certainly feels like it will have good performance.

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: heavybow on February 21, 2008, 08:00:02 pm

Thats a very nice bow Marc, that will get my vote ;) marlon

Title: Re: Elm D bow
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 22, 2008, 07:27:00 pm

Thanks Marlon