Last week one of my neighbors was having some trees cut. Seeing an opportunity I asked for a chunk of wood for some bushcraft use and was given a 16' section of wych elm. After sizing it up and trimming it down I am left with a fairly straight section about 7 feet long and some misc shorter sections. The long section is about 4" diameter at the thick end and 3.5" at the thin end. There were a couple of branches on this but nothing larger than 1/2" or so. I've thought about using this section for a future bow. A few questions.
1. Does wych elm make good bow material?
2. How should I store the wood for seasoning? Should I remove the bark? wax the ends?
3. If using for bow is it better to use the core or a section of the tree?
4. Do I need to split it to make a bow? If so should I do it now or later?
Any other tips on preparing this wood for a future bow?
Thanks, Jeff
1. Does wych elm make good bow material?
2. How should I store the wood for seasoning? Should I remove the bark? wax the ends?
3. If using for bow is it better to use the core or a section of the tree?
4. Do I need to split it to make a bow? If so should I do it now or later?
Any other tips on preparing this wood for a future bow?
Thanks, Jeff