Question About ERC Sapwood

[KShip85]

I just cut a super clean piece of ERC out of the side of a tree tonight and am hoping to make a long bow with it.  It is about 72 inches long and not so much as a pin hole in it.  The only thing I am unsure about is that it is nearly all sapwood.  Does the sapwood perform as well as the heartwood?  I think I read somewhere on here that it takes a little more set.  Also, for anyone who has harvested out of the side of a standing tree, is it necessary to have a notch in the tree for it to heal as was said to be done by the west coast native americans in TBB1 or will conifers still heal if it was a straight cut with a pruning saw.  Main reason I ask is because I am hoping to harvest another stave from the location in a few years as it is so clear of pins and knots.  Thanks in advance for the help.

               Kip

[Jmilbrandt]

Sapwood of erc doesn't seem to take any more set then the heartwood. My experience has been that they were about the same, the only difference I could see is the heartwood is a whole lot prettier.

[Pat B]

Two years ago I saw an all sapwood ERC ELB style bow and was amazed at how well it shot and how little set it took. I wouldn't hesitate to use just the sapwood of ERC for any bow.

[KShip85]

Thanks for the help!  Does anyone have experience with harvesting from a standing tree and letting it heal back in to harvest again?  I'm just wondering if I need to go back and cut notches where I cut it off straight. Thanks again!

      Kip

[orcbow]

I think the only difference between a straight - sawed notched and an angled notch is that the angled notch would shed rain better, which may help the tree recover a little faster. Also the tapered transition will be easier for the tree to cover up. Good luck with the bow, ERC is a wonderful wood to work.

[Hillbilly]

If you trim the cuts to an angle, it'll heal faster with less chance of decay.