cherry sapwood

[rkeltner]

i have some so-so staves of wild cherry, and in the past i've simply removed the sapwood. my question, have i been wasting or have i been exerting unneeded effort? i know cherry is weak in tension, so that (and my inexperience at the time) explains some of why some of my early attempts broke, but cherry is wonderfully light, and i've been thinking about a silk backed, cherry holmegaard.

[RidgeRunner]

If this wood is Black Cherry, like the kind that grows here in North Alabama, I would leave the sap wood on.
A silk backing should help (if not stop) your breaking problem.

I cant remember where it was, maybe at the TN Classic, but I saw a sinew backed Black Cherry Bow.
It shot very well.  The sinew combined with the light weight cherry wood made a great combination.

David

[DanaM]

Hmmm food for thought, I have about 20 BC staves stashed but so far I've only met with failure.

[Aries]

Please tell me if i am wrong, but i think I remember reading somewhere about cherry bark being used as a bowbacking.The picture showed a dark reddish color of the backing. Ty

[Pat B]

Ty, that is a different cherry. I don't know if BC bark would be suitable for backings.
   I have made sapwood only(a little heart in the handle) cherry bows. They were overbuilt as per Paul Comstock. They were heavy and slow. That could have been my fault.    With whitewood  you have to handle it properly from stump to stave and beyond. Rot can and will move in and ruin good bow wood. I may have to try it again.     Pat

[DanaM]

330bull did a build along on backing a bow with cherry bark do a search for
I hope this link works.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,2366.0.html