Red Elm Bow

[bigcountry]

So, got me a red elm stave.  How do I work red elm?  I suppose I leave on the early wood, and just use the wood under the bark as the back?  Whoever debarked, ran into the rings some.  Do I have to chase a ring perfectly?

Thanks
Mark

[mikekeswick]

Well elm is very good in tension with interlocking fibers - a little like hickory. I'm sure it's possible to violate the back rings a little and get away with it but personally I would chase the next ring down so you KNOW the back is good enough. I would strongly recommend heat treating the bow once you've got the tiller spot on but still short of full draw by a few inches.
I love elm!

[Badger]

  Red elm is nothing like white elm. Much lighter and weaker. You do need a perfect back and careful tiller using as much limb as you can get.

[bigcountry]

Ok, so thinking of a 2" wide limb, up about 12" or so above the fades pyramid to the tips?  Or possible a 2" fade and full pyramid to the tips?

I thought slippery elm or red was the wood to have for a bow.  Never built one.  Guess I was wrong.

[George Tsoukalas]

I never did red elm but have done American elm, big. That is a good design but I believe that is also a  good design for woods you have not tried. Leave on the sapwood. Have fun. You do not have to chase a ring at all. Carefully take off the bark and there is your back. During the growing season it will peel off. Now you need to carefully remove it or you will damage the back. One more point. You didn't mention the weight you wanted  but that's ok. If you find the stave not responsive to tiller and the limbs getting to thick begin to narrow them to bring home the tiller. Jawge

[crooketarrow]

  Like GEORGE said you don't have to chase a ring. The back right under the barks is the best. ELM is a good wood. Just about impossable to break. I made bows as low a 56 inchs with a 29' DRAW at 50#'s and another 60"55@30" the longest draw for any self bow I've made. These were slippery elm same as red here in WV.

[Badger]

  Not sure of the Red Elm you have worked with but all the red elm I have seen is a semi soft wood. Red Elm is used in glass bow laminations for it's light weight. Not nearly as durrable or bending strength that white elms have. One thing I do like about red elm is that because of it's light weight it makes very fast bows if carefully tillered. The great majority of red elm bows I have seen didn't survive long, That being said I do like red elm and consider it challenging to work with.