Wood? for Warbow/ Heavy elb

[H Rhodes]

Thanks Mike.  I will try that.  I am becoming a real fan of heat treating.

[Lee]

I am making some hickory flatbows for my young grandkids that I am heat treating with excellent results.  They were heated to slight reflex/deflex and will pull about 20#.  My next bow will be a hickory-backed hickory warbow.  I obtained the backing from an on-line supplier (sorry don't remember which one) and glued it to a 1/2" X 4" X 8' hickory board I got at Menard's (midwest big box hardware).  I cannot bend it at all.  Should make a very interesting weight bow.  Tips will be American bison.  Also got good results with heat treating a hickory-backed ash bow.

[MrWarSpoon]

Decided that I'd try my first WB after a 4 year siesta from bowmaking and am piecing it together as Hickory, Purpleheart, Ipe. Couldn't track down the 78-80in lams I wanted in good enough quality, so hopefully it'll sit between 68-70 when braced. Need to remeasure them, but I think they're either 72" or 74".

[nidrinr]

they used elm as a back up, and usually ash as a last resort, but neither of these woods replaced the yew, as they had to be designed differently

-Just to correct one thing here.. Wytch elm can take just the same design as the yew. In many cases even the same design and shorter for the same weight. BUT, yew bows often outshoot them anyways. The main difference of wytch elm and yew for bows though, are how yew bows perform much better in a wet climate than wytch elm. Wytch elm bows take a fair amount of set if the weather is wet, even with the most water proof finish you find. The yew don't mind the wet climate that much.
In hot weather on the other hand, yew seems to loose some more pounds than the wytch elm. Still, they're both excellent for warbows.
Ash is good until you accidentally put it in a moist area. Ash seems to be related to sponges, sucking up any water close to it.