ERC staves

[Fox]

Seems like lots of people are talking about ERC and its making me want to try it out again... I keep messing them up before there even on the tillering tree. Its so easy to screw up!

so I have 3 staves I could use, I only get one cause the other two are for friends. Which should I go with for a bow to sinew? One is kind of thin, one is got some sideways bend in it and I messed up a stave trying to heat stuff out earlier, and the other one has deflex in it

(The small, All of the first few layers of sapwood I don't think are any good so I gotta go down further)

Untitled by Livvydog, on Flickr

(Sidways bend)

Untitled by Livvydog, on Flickr

(Deflexed one)

Untitled by Livvydog, on Flickr

I think all of these has some bad sapwood, these staves are increadibly old,

[gutpile]

1 or 2.. sapwood is the best on ERC for your limbs.. chasing a ring is a royal pain but it can be done as I have done it.. the sapwood has more compression properties than the heartwood ..neither are that good in tension .  I'd try to get bark off and clean it up and use that as your back..good luck.. cedar is so freakin light in your hand you will forget you are carrying it..and a snappy bow too.. gut

[Fox]

Okay I’ll see how it looks once it’s cleaned up. Does a ring need to be continuous or are a few violations okay?