issues with elm

[jeffp51]

My acquisition of staves has been rather arbitrary. I have some staves of what I think is siberian elm.  This will be my 5th different bow wood.  This stave has a small bit of bug damage about 9 inches from one end. I can't really get around it with a layout adjustment.  I have two qestions:

1. The rings look pretty thick--and I think if I went down a ring, I could get under this.   Has anyone ever chased a ring on this wood before?
2. As I have reduced these staves, the sapwood feels better under the drawknife than the heartwood.  It would probably look pretty nice with some of both on the bow, but chasing a ring will mean using more heartwood.  Should I avoid this?

Thanks
Jeff

[Pat B]

Just my opinion as I have only made a few elm bows and none with heartwood in them...I'd fill the blemish with super glue and go with it however having some heartwood on the belly probably wouldn't be a bad thing.

[jeffp51]

Thanks Pat. I was also thinking about a small sinew patch. I wish I could put this in and unbending tip--the wood has a natural recurve right there that wold be nearly perfect--but there isn't enough wood on the other end, so I will end up heating that one out and adding another recurve further on.

[Pat B]

Heat the wood up slightly before adding the glue, not hot, just warm. That should help the glue sink in.  I don't think a sinew patch will help that much. Elm is pretty tough stuff.

[Josh B]

You can chase a ring on it.  The heartwood won't hurt anything.  I've made a few all heartwood  bows from belly splits.  No sapwood at all.  Josh

[k-hat]

Difficult to chase a ring on it, but i've done it on hackberry which is very similar.  If you can chase it, i say DO IT!!  i would love to see the result with the heart wood mixed in there...beautiful!!  Mine always end up with no heartwood, except maybe some in the grip.

[paulsemp]

I got an all heartwood rawhide back elm from pearly boy that's a sweet shooter