Black cherry is very inelastic in tension,and does not bend very far unbacked before unexpectedly snapping in tension without warning due to my bend tests with it....in most cases it is best and wise to at least back cherry with rawhide...then comes design which must be long and wide due to its inelasticity ...and then you must execute this design thru good patient tillering slowly teaching it how to bend.....my analogy for black cherry is like playing Russian roulette with 2 or 3 rounds in the chamber...if ya get a good piece(empty chamber in the gun)and execute it correctly you can get a nice bow...but look out if there's a bullet in that chamber when ya pull that trigger...but you won't know its in there untill you do pull that trigger.....
I know its sounds like I'm bashing it and trying to steer you clear of it,but I'm not....go ahead and "learn"...and I hope it works out for you......if your new at bow making..which it sounds like it...I'd go long wide and rawhide,and bend in the handle....specific stats will pend on what you want it to pull weight and draw wise...
