ERC design suggestions (edit:pics added)

[blackhawk]

Nuttin like talking out r arse with zero experience behind it....

I've done round,crowned,and flat bellies from long to shortbows with juniperus virginiana,and all did just fine because it is good in compression and highly elastic...its weak link is tension strength..and its lightweight wood.....and that's why sinew is a perfect marriage for it    a properly designed sinewed juniperus virginiana is one sweeeeeet shooter.....I've done hickory backed,rawhide backed,and sinew backed...and sinee is by far my favorite backer for the stuff...the aforementioned backers will work just fine as well but not as good imho

[simson]

Thank you all for your interesting input. I will split the stave - and we will see.
Will post the first pics soon ....

[simson]

This is the first time for me working with ERC.
This wood is incredible light, soft and bendy. The color is crazy a violet with creamy stripes, never seen something like that. To bad the fresh violet oxidates to a brownish pink after a while.
Now here are some pics where I am at the moment, every input is welcome

1. inner belly split
60" long, 1,5" wide, three holes - one very large, follows the grain sideways but ring violations on the back (could not avoid this - otherwise bow would be too short).
I have already cleaned the back and put on a shellac as protection. I have cut in pin nocks, but the first try with tillerstring affected marks in the soft wood. Therefore some bison horn (looking like black fingernails) were glued on.
Hope this one stays together.

2. main split
72" long, 1,5" wide, I accepted running out grain to get a knot free surface. Should I go for a elb profile?

In the first pic you see the two splits how they where laying in the stave (main split over belly split).
Third is a close up, same position.

Last pic is a special for blackhawk ( he had the idea!)

[Josh B]

I would definitely recommend elb for the longer stave.  I would highly suggest backing both of them as it would appear that there is no sapwood remaining on either stave.  It has been my experience that erc heartwood is almost worthless in tension.  They are beautiful staves, I look forward to seeing what you get out of them.  Josh

[blackhawk]

I'd say a rawhide backed longbow for the longer stave...and I'll even go out on a limb and say even sinew backing the long one if done right wood work well as well...just do a first course covering the whole back..and then two more courses down the center crown of the stave..and steam in some reflex before applying the sinew....the wood is so light and if done right with narrow outer limbs and some good reflex still after tillering I don't think it would affect slowing the cast down..its just a hunch as I've never done a long sinew backed one before,and I'm thinking out loud here....and id definitely sinew back the shorter one and flipping its tips ....I have used dry heat with erc ,but I find steam easier n safer to make bends/corrections with it...

Oh...and nice money shot   

[BL]

Informative post all around.  From the various other ERC posts I've seen, people made it sound like the wood was overly brittle in general.  If that were the case then a thinner, wider, flatter belly would make sense, right?  Perhaps that's where he was coming from.