Greetings,
My neighbor just cut down a massive Cherry tree, and I got a six foot section for bow making. The log split well into three sections, and I can probably make five staves from it. Right now, it's sitting under the porch off the ground seasoning. I'll split it into staves in a few months.
My question is this - should I leave the sapwood on the stave when it's time to make the bow? It has a rich, red heartwood and a relatively thin light colored sapwood. I'm not sure about hardwoods, though. I've read that you're not supposed to leave the sapwood as it can be weak and ruin the bow. I know with yew and similar woods, you can leave the sapwood and it makes the bow even better.
I'll provide some pics of the cross-section soon. It looks pretty darn good to me. Thanks!
