Thar she blows!!!!!!

[BowEd]

Well that's the berries......LOL.My previous post of removing propeller twist from a sinewd cedar bow limb had what I mentioned some hairline cracks intermittently along the side of the bow limb.I super glued them but it was'nt enough.Tiller was very good.It was bending nice and evenly out to 22"@45# when KAPOW!!!! she blew apart in a manner that I'm very glad I was'nt in the way.It delaminated just below the sinew pulling wood with it all along clean through the billeted handle to the wraps up by the tips.At least I know my sizing and sinew job was good.......LOL.Those billets were from the trunk of a large cedar tree.Clean as a whistle.No knots.As I was pulling and I slowly eased up there too getting it used to bending I noticed the rate of poundage increase every two inches was only 3 pounds.Then KAPOW!!!!!!!!
Well I've got a couple of wiggled centershot 64" hickorys roughed out here that are dry.Both from the same tree.They look identical almost really.Both have that furrowed rough back I like to play with as far as staining etc.
Some day I'll get one of those light in the hand snappy quick sinewed cedars' here.....LOL.

[blackhawk]

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Sorry ed.  but you know playing with wood is like playing with fire

[BowEd]

Darn inferior bow wood.[grumble....grumble...grumble]Well if ya ain't breakin you ain't makin as they say.Had a bad suspicion it was going to happen.When wood starts losing draw weight or not gaining like it should it's on the verge of breaking.

[JonW]

Sorry about that Ed. Sounds alot like my only experience with ERC and sinew. I know people make it work but there are other things to waste my time on.

[BowEd]

Oh I ain't givin up at all yet Jon and if I had some more of it dry I would get after it.A friend of mine is going to sinew a hedge 58" long with some levers on it like my bows so I've got this really nice rock maple stave I might just sinew that and put horn on the belly like I did a hickory a while back.Then get to my hickorys later as that cures.Winter can be a long haul here.Mean while I'll keep a lookin at those cedar trees for limbs that will make bows.It's Iowa cedar.If that makes a diff I don't know.The rings are rather large I think but I could be thinking wrong.I'd like some real tight ringed stuff myself.