cedar bow??

[bigpapa]

Thanks BC.
When I laminate the hickory. Do I need to worry about cutting into the rings on the cedar? I would think both slats would need to be nice and smooth to mate up.

[vinemaplebows]

Pearl,

                      I got a bow I will show you....take some pics with have it up tommarow.

[bcbull]

I make em mate up the take a saw blade scratch em up glue em good wrape with bike tunes then aftr dryin cut er out on the stave shoot for 2/3 sap1/3 heartwood makes. A good bow if u dont have many knots to worry about brock

[mwosborn]

The best bow I've made to date is a sinew backed ERC.  Just over 50# at 28" 66" ntn and shoots very smooth.  Rather shoot it than any of my others.  It is feather light in my hand.  I am on bow # 13 and I actually struggle a bit with tillering.  Think I just got lucky with this one!! 

[bigpapa]

I'm kinda holding off backing with sinew till I've got some experience under my belt. Besides I still ain't figured out how the sinew stays stuck to the bow.

[mullet]

I've made several in the 55-60# range. I just helped Fl Cuban redneck make his first bow out of cedar a couple of years ago. It's on here somewhere.

[sleek]

so, this conversation is interesting to me. I just cut 5 bows worth of erc. I have never sinewed anything, and I find it intimidating. And with all the character, I can't back it with hickory. So that leaves rawhide, fiber, or sapwwod. It worries me that most think it won't make a good self bow?

[bigpapa]

Well, you've got a start. That's for sure. 

[Josh B]

Here's another erc selfbow for you to check out.  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,31071.msg   ERC is not exactly ideal to learn on, but it will make a fine bow.  If you are planning to remove sapwood to show the heartwood on the finished bow,  be sure that you don't take it down so far that heartwood shows on the back.  The heartwood is completely worthless for tension.  Even a little spot of it showing through will be fatal to a selfbow.  If you have any and I mean ANY heartwood peeking through on the back, put a backing on it .  Josh

[bigpapa]

Cool, thanks josh. The wood I'm planning on using is out of a log I have that is a little over ten inches across. With about an inch of the light color wood before it gets to the heartwood. Yall think I should keep it wide and longish?

[bcbull]

Go 72-74 long 13/4 fades longed wider bro brock

[sleek]

Holy carp, certaintly an ERC doesnt need to be that long to be a self bow? Does it? what draw weight are you shooting for? I am only trying for 40-50lbs@25 inches.

[Josh B]

Lol! No, it don't have to be that long for what your going for Sleek.  Especially in a bendy handle.  I will say that with my experience, longer is more important than wider with ERC.  The wood is so light that even a very substantial overbuild in length still comes in at low mass.  Are you thinking stiff handled, ELB, ALB or still undecided on design?  That all makes a difference of course.  I had a 70" elb that was 60#@28" for a while, but I got snookered out of it one night on a bet.  I need to make me another one.  I loved that bow! Josh

[Gus]

Excellent Thread!
Thanks for posting...

-gus

[gpw]

   Gentlemen ,    ERC with a thin backing makes a GREAT ELB...  Man tall , fully bending , D profile, thick of handle , circular tiller ...  We’ve made several ... all were light in hand and straight/fast/smooth  shooters .  We glued on our hickory backings (1/8” thick ) with 2-3” of Perry reflex and by the time the bows were shot in , they were perfectly straight when first unstrung.. 
  The lighter density of the wood produces a “thicker" bow , shaped somewhat like the old MR War bows ...  Ours were ~ 50-60# @28”

  Definitely a wood choice to investigate if you like the old school ELB ... and you can take the leftover shavings , put them in a little cloth bag and put it in your closet to keep the bugs away ...