cypress??

[Tom Dulaney]

I made one using Laotian cypress and tried to make one using Hinoki cypress here in Taiwan. The Hinoki developed compression fissures right off the bat at around 10'' of pull on the tiller tree. The Laotian cypress seemed fine, but it is so easy to remove wood from cypress and it is so light that I designed it poorly and it only pulled 25#@28''. That might be why it made a bow to be honest: low poundage. I rawhide backed another piece of loatian cypress for a second try and the rawhide ripped the back up as it dried! Chopped both of them up and used them for air fresheners in my house the wood smelled so good. If you make one, I would say to use a pyramid design, do a slow dry raw hide backing on it and be sure to put tips overlays on it as the wood is so soft you are likely to damage the tips.

Hi, have you ever used Japanese sugi wood for a bow? It's often called a cedar, but it's a cypress. Would like a response from anyone who has ever used Sugi before. Thanks.


Good luck on your cypress bow, Swamp Thang. East Texas is a nice place.

[Limbit]

Tom, looking into Sugi wood since I've never heard of that name and it doesn't strike me as usable due to it's wide growth rings and low density. You can always give it a go though report! The cypress I used both had incredibly high ring count even though they weren't very dense.

[Swamp Thang]

I may have some insight as to why Cypress was used I have two staves I harvested and find that while it is very light and soft (still drying) as it dries it has become more and more elastic. The extra trimmings from splitting it are my test subjects haha they bend better than some woods while retaining Their original shape

[willie]

thanks for taking the time to harvest some staves and look closely while drying. I generally do not like to use boards because you never really get much choice except for grain orientation.

picking a choice tree and handling the wood with your own priorities, was most likely a big part of the primitive bowyers skills

[Swamp Thang]

I was pretty shocked when I bent the sliver well past what a dry peice of hardwood could handle and return to normal shape thanks to my amazing gifter on the Christmas trade I get to try a juniper stave been kinda taking off shavings here and there trying to work slow enough I don't get anxious and ruin it and it's very different but in some ways it has a familiar feel to it in relation to the juniper.

[wizardgoat]

I cut some yellow cedar also called Nootka cypress last year. I heart it was used for bows by locals.
I haven't finished a bow yet, but it for sure feels similar to juniper

[simson]

There are a lot of species called cypress, you should note the latin botanical name.
I only have made one out of thuja, comparable sg and density. It shot like the hell, because it was super light by mass.
But it exploded at fd into many pieces, flying around me. I was lucky none hit my eyes, one was near by let a deep hurt.

So be careful!

[Bob W.]

There is a lot of Bald Cypress down by the bayou, I  will go see if i can find a candidate for a future bow. Most folks when talking cypress for bow building are talking about bald cypress, the kind that grows in the south.

[Swamp Thang]

Shoot im in the southern swamps not sure I have ever heard of another type of cypress but yes it is bald cypress. I know it's been used for bows just can't believe it. Marked out the stave today gonna do some whittling.

[spyder1958]

Mullet and I helped a guy make a seasoned cypress stave bow several years back.  We kept it long and made it bend through the handle.   We went from stave to shooting bow in one day.  It worked and shot well enough.  It's not Osage but it'll do the job!

Yes you did Steve, but it was log to bow in a day. here's the post. bow is still going strong.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,34698.0.html



and the sister bow was gifted to a young friend who shoot it daily for over two or three years, but I think he grew to much and over drawed it when she blew

[Swamp Thang]

What's a good starting thickness?

[spyder1958]

What's a good starting thickness?

I'll have to check that when I'm out in the shop, but I'd start thick and wide, alot will depend on the tree your using, mine has very small rings. read thru the original post I linked above.
I'll get back to you after I mic the bow
good luck