sinew backed ERC sapwood ??

[sonny]

It seems that I recently read that someone had had good luck with sinew backed eastern red cedar sapwood, of which I have a good blank that's nearly ready for backing.
I had intended to make a selfbow from it but I already have some sinew shredded so figure I might give that a go.

please point me to the thread if you remember the post.

 

[M-P]

Sonny,  Try entering "sinew" and "juniper" in the search box at the upper left hand corner of the page.  You'll get several hits that deal with ERC ( WHICH IS A TYPE OF JUNIPER - J. sylvestris.   
My opinion is that ERC  is a great bow wood, espicially if backed.    Ron

[huntersteve]

Is the Eastern Red Cedar the same cedar that is common here in North Carolina??

[M-P]

Hi, I've never spent much time in NC., but if your 'cedar' has red/ pink heartwood and smells like a cedar chest once dried, it is ERC.  Several other "cedars" are present on the east coast, but to my knowledge they all have white wood.   Ron

[Hillbilly]

Huntersteve, it's the same one. Lots of cedar around when you get down out of the mountains. The challenge is in finding a clean piece that isn't just a bunch of knots connected together. Look for the ones growing out in the woods instead of the field cedars.

[Minuteman]

I have a video ( Full Circle) where Thad Beckum cuts a slab of cedar out of a living tree with a greenstone axe  and makes a bow from it. It was ERC and all sapwood if my memory serves me. He sinew backed it .

[huntersteve]

the reason I asked is because I have a cedar log stowed away in the dry that that was cut and saved for fence post or whatever else......but now I'm thinking about trying to make a bow out of it....Steve