Steam bending cherry.

[Mafort]

So like the question says how difficult is it to steam bend twist out of cherry? Have a stave that’s 69” long and should make a pretty sweet D style longbow but it’s got a twist. Hoping I can take it out before I turn it into chips for the smoker.

[dylanholderman]

It should bend pretty good if it’s anything like the cherry I made a dulcimer out of.
How bad is the twist? If you’re going a D style bow a lot of twist can be ignored

[bownarra]

I've made a Turkish hornbow core from prunus avium....so its pretty darn good!

[bassman211]

I tried wild choke cherry more than once, or twice as a self bow "Prunius Virginiana".  Much better self bow woods out their, and when cherry breaks it explodes into flying pieces. Best to back it with sinew like our natives did.  They new what they were doing.I have one survivor out of six that will get sinew backed before I shoot it again.

[boomhowzer]

Mafort, you took the words right out of my mouth, or rather, the question right out of my textbox. I've got a black cherry bow (prunus serotina) I just bent the twist out of a few days ago and now I'm bending recurves into it. I found it very easy to bend, almost like play-doh when steamed thoroughly, but it has to be allowed to cool completely. I pulled it out of the form after my first bend and it bent directly back to its original state. The second attempt I left overnight and it took fine. Now I'm giving everything at least a 12 hour dry-out period before I touch it.

I haven't started bending this bow yet, so I can't speak to the idiosyncrasies of the wood once you start the tillering process, but I've been very pleased with its performance in my cauls.

[BowEd]

It steam bent rather easily for me too.I heat tempered the steam bent parts with a heat gun after cool down and drying a day or so to set the bends.It is a diffuse pourus wood so it's glueing qualities should be very good.The reason Mike used it for a horn bow core.
Overall it still is a tempermental wood and when it blows it blows like said about being the same as red cedar in that regard.In otherwoords it can be sort of brittle.
I still have a very good functioning sinewed 64" black cherry bow.It was sinewed over it's sapwood that was smooth backed.Not to hijack your thread but here's the example.



I think 1 of the reasons it can be tempermental is because of it's rings.I chased a ring on a black cherry bow and this is what it looked like.It took a while.The ring was undulated with furrows/humps/and dips.Not good tension wise for an air backed bow and the reason why I think it should be backed with rawhide or sinew.
This is a different black cherry bow.


A D style bow long bow that has extra length is a perfect design for cherry.Extreme performance designs of shorter lengths do not work out too well using black cherry as a self bow or single backed bow.It either breaks or can chrysall on belly over time.
The finished bow shown is pushing the limits of black cherry already.

[bassman211]

Right on bow ED. One Choke Cherry bow that I built blew up at full draw after having a couple hundred arrows shot out of it,and  broke my glasses in two pieces, and bruised my right eye. In my experience Birch, and Walnut work much better for self bow wood.

[SLIMBOB]

It’s like the 4th of July when it blows. I short drew everything for a month when the last one blew on me. I know they can be made to work because Ed and a few others have succeeded, but I lost my patience with the damn stuff.

[BowEd]

The trouble with red cedar and cherry is that it's kind of an intoxicating type wood.Still doable but a few hiccups along the way.My biggest bang was with red cedar.It was a memorable event.They do put a kybosh any reclaimating options as you can't find all the parts....ha ha.

[H Rhodes]

Beautiful tiller on that one BowEd!  One of the best performers in my stable is a 64” cherry backed with a hickory strip.  Cherry does have some great qualities, but the breaks are pretty spectacular.  I had one put a knot on my head. 

[BowEd]

Beautiful tiller on that one BowEd!  One of the best performers in my stable is a 64” cherry backed with a hickory strip.  Cherry does have some great qualities, but the breaks are pretty spectacular.  I had one put a knot on my head.

That's a very good option backing too for black cherry.Sometime I'll have to try that.

[Mafort]

So it’s 69” would a rawhide backing work with it? Keep in mind I’m not looking for anything super refined and such. A simple, no frills longbow style bow that will launch a hunting arrow tipped with stone. Kentucky is very lenient on the broadhead choice so I’m using stone. First time in forever using it

[BowEd]

Yes go for it.Good luck hunting!!

[silent sniper]

Guys who have had experience with cherry/red cedar, would hard backing it bamboo/wood fix the issues that these brittle woods have? I built a hickory backed cedar bow that shot beautifully and didn’t have any issues other than a small area of fretting that was my fault. The bow never blew but I am still hesitant to use the soft bellies again simply because I really do not want an explosion. What are your thoughts?

[BowEd]

I use maple or ash or elm on red cedar.I've seen some nice bamboo backed and hickory backed red cedars though.
I'm not in the habit of trapping things much either.
Sinew works well at least for me though too.Rawhide alone I've never done.
The cause of your fret might not be because of the backing like you said.
Not much help but that's all I got.