Removing sapwood from erc

[osage outlaw]

First you start out with a 24" osage log.  Then proceed from there.   On curved pieces I'll use two ax heads to start a curved split along the growth ring.  Some times they split perfectly.  Other times they run out half way down the stave.  Start out on the small end of the stave.  I'll mark on the end where I want to split it to get the most staves out of a piece of wood.

[LittleBen]

My only advice is this: if you're making a selfbow, do nothing to the sapwood. If you're sinew backing, do whatever you want to the sapwood because it won't matter at all.

[upstatenybowyer]

Wow, thanks everyone!

[Josh B]

With ERC my advice would be to saw the heartwood off.  ERC can be a pain just splitting staves some times.  It likes to just wander off in any old direction.  I'm utterly amazed that goat managed to do a belly split.  I've had em blow right out the side just trying to split a log!  Josh

[upstatenybowyer]

With ERC my advice would be to saw the heartwood off.  ERC can be a pain just splitting staves some times.  It likes to just wander off in any old direction.  I'm utterly amazed that goat managed to do a belly split.  I've had em blow right out the side just trying to split a log!  Josh

Thanks Josh. A friend of mine has a bandsaw. He said he'd help me rip the sapwood. I told him I was considering backing with bamboo and he mentioned that he has a joiner. He couldn't talk long enough to explain what it does. Does anyone know?

[Pappy]

The jointer will give you a flat back if you plan on hard backing it. My only advice with ERC heart wood only self bow ,is wear a helmet.
 Pappy

[upstatenybowyer]

The jointer will give you a flat back if you plan on hard backing it. My only advice with ERC heart wood only self bow ,is wear a helmet.
 Pappy

Thanks Pappy. I've never hard backed a bow before so I think I might give it a try. I hear you about the helmet. Had one blow up in my face a few weeks ago 

[Pappy]

Yep I tried it a lot years ago and still blame my short draw problem on trying to make bows out of ERC. They blow so violently when they go. It is something you don't forget soon. Yipes !!!
 Pappy

[BowEd]

Here here.+1.Just lucky enough that it did it on the tillering tree.Very violent kapow!!!!Most so of any bow I've seen break.
I've got a 5 to 6 inch thick branch here too.Only 60 to 61 inches long though if I recall.I'd make a bendy handle bow out of it myself.Possibly like Marcs' Alone bow posting.Good thread here talking about taking the crown off these kind of bows.I've been watching the Alone show but don't see it being used.One guy has a FG bow.He should get a pig with it too hopefully.

[DC]

Marc's bow isn't in this series.

[upstatenybowyer]

What I'd really like to do is make an r/d with a bamboo backing. What I thought about doing is having my friend cut two 1/4" laminates out of the heartwood, glue and wrap them with bicycle intertubes and bend them into a caul, wait for them to dry, then add the bamboo with glue and intertubes and bend into the caul again. Does this make sense?

[BowEd]

DC...Oh I see.
Yes upstate I hear ya.I've got the materials here for that too.Edge grain cut heartwood red cedar.But now bamboo might be too much for red cedar.I'd lean towards rock maple myself and into just a mild R/D design.
Innertubes will work good I'd say.Personally I'd use smooth on for glue and with smooth ons' longer working time I'd think you could glue the whole thing together at once.Red cedar lams and bamboo too and clamp it to your caul.

[Springbuck]

Bamboo works great with ERC, but only if you do it right!!      Thin the boo, trap the boo, keep the length and keep the width, baby!

[upstatenybowyer]

DC...Oh I see.
Yes upstate I hear ya.I've got the materials here for that too.Edge grain cut heartwood red cedar.But now bamboo might be too much for red cedar.I'd lean towards rock maple myself and into just a mild R/D design.
Innertubes will work good I'd say.Personally I'd use smooth on for glue and with smooth ons' longer working time I'd think you could glue the whole thing together at once.Red cedar lams and bamboo too and clamp it to your caul.

If I go with the boo, I'd probably purchase it from 3 rivers. I've got plenty of ash and rock maple I could cut and make backing out of. Do 1/8" backing lams make sense?

[BowEd]

Yep.That should be enough on the backing.Would'nt need get gleaned by 3 Rivers then either.
When glueing together to avoid any glue onto to your inner tubes I wrap it first with saran wrap.Then the inner tubes.Then clamped onto your caul.Other ways too to accomplish same result but it's just the way I've been shown and am used to.It's your build.