Hickory-Backed Red Cedar ELB, now with photos

[tom sawyer]

I'm working up a bow for my lovely wife Shannon.

I had a 40" ERC log cut into 1" boards two years ago.  A couple of months ago I cut and spliced a couple of billets and backed it with hickory.  Its 68", 1 1/4" wide at the handle tapering to 1/2" tips.  I tillered it out and it was bending fairly smoothy and making 55lb@28", a bit too much for the wife.  I brought it down to just under 50lb, that she can just handle.  It has about 2" of set spread evenly over each limb.  I felt like that was about right for the type of wood and design, and my limited skills.

I had bought Shannon some Texas rat snake skins from Mike Yancey last summer at MOJAM, and she asked me to put them on this bow.  Even though I hated to cover the hickory, when the boss makes a suggestion you want to listen.  They do look pretty nice.  I've got a couple of coats of tung oil finish on it now, a handle wrap and it'll be ready to shoot.  I think I'm going to go the whole nine yards and add horn nocks to it, never tried those.  So it may be another few weeks in the works, just in time for Christmas.

I'll post a pic of the bow in progress, tonight.

[Trapper]

Cant wait too see it , Dont forget too post some pics OK?  I built one for a guy a couple weeks ago and I just left the sapwood on it and the belly was all heartwood , and it was a screamer very light and fast, Of course I sinew backed it . anyway he liked it, his wife told me he sleeps with it under his bed. LOL.    Trapper

[tom sawyer]

The billets I chose were almost all heartwood, just a little touch of white on the ends that I glued up at the handle.  The wood was as clear as I could get, although there was a small knot at 6" from one end that is at a 45 angle and runs out the side of the limb.  I left it somewhat stiff there and hope that doesn't deteriorate.  I figured with the lower poundage, length and bendy handle design, it had a good chance of holding up.

It is definitely a low mass wood, this bow is very light.  I'll weigh it when I get home.

[1/2primitive]

Sounds good Lennie, can't wait to see it.
    Sean

[Roger]

Lennie,

Where ya getting your Hick backing strips...I need some. You cut them yourself?

R

[tom sawyer]

Roger, I got my last few from Tim Ott at the last MOJAM.  You might check with him, he was making them from some old hickory boards.

Anyway, go to the link and find the hickory backed cedar photo album.

http://groups.msn.com/LenniesBowPage/pictures

[Pappy]

Sweet looking bow Lennie,she should love that one.
   Pappy

[Hillbilly]

Good looking bow, Lennie.

[DanaM]

She's a beauty, I love the color of the ERC heartwood.

[Sidewinder]

Very nicely done Lennie. She should be very happy with that one. Danny

[koan]

Pretty sweet lookin full draw....Brian

[tom sawyer]

Thanks all, she seems pleased with it so far.  Hopefully the horn nocks will come out alright.  I have to grind down a bit for boring the horn tips. 

Something about the full draw shot of an ELB that I just really like.  Seems more graceful than a stiff-handled bow, yet less strained than the bendy shorties.

[Adam Keiper]

Looks good Lennie.  Is that a working handle with a Z-splice?

[RidgeRunner]

Lennie:
Nice looking bow.  How did you cut your Z splice?
I made my first Z splice a while back.  It looks like crap.
Will have to re-cut it.

Hay!  Is that AK from PA logging in???

David

[tom sawyer]

I cut the splice with a bandsaw.  Not my best splice but resorcinol or URAC has wood flour in it and fills gaps.  Yes Adam the handle is working just a bit I think, right at the end of the draw.  I think that is not uncommon for ELB style bows is it?  It isn't bending hard there, and the length of these bows means there is never a super hard bend.  I have about 12" inches of glue line, its probably as strong as the cedar.  Plus the hickory extends over the splice of course.

Along those lines, I made a much shorter z-spliced bendy-handle bow not that long ago and it was only backed with linen.  It held up fine too.  I think that is on my site too, it is the "scrapwood" bow with the funky green paint job.