Lowes Western Red Cedar fence rail

[JW_Halverson]

So I was goofing around in the local Lowes today when I found some really nice fence rails that were normally $9 on sale for $0.65 each.  I needed some cedar for making striker pegs for slate turkey calls and thought a rail would last me for a few thousand strikers.  So I picked one out.  It's well over 6 ft long and has a half inch of sapwood over some really fine heartwood.  It's also rail straight and just over an inch and a half wide....I picked the straightest one from the lot.

So I got to thinking about reducing the sapwood to about an eighth of an inch and trying to make a lightweight bow from it.  Kinda in the ELB profile, but rectangular in cross section. 

Anyone ever futz around with this stuff?

[sleek]

JW, you sound like a new guy. Everybody knows western cedar aint good for nuthin.

Ok, seriously, the only western cedar I have ever seen was a creamish color, no red. I would be interested in seeing a pic? I am guilty of buying a cedar board from lowes as well, 10 ft long straight grain, no knots... but found it to be so soft, I will use it for another project. What do you call lightweight by the way?

[ionicmuffin]

i would slap a rawhide backing or hickory on it before i would even start using it for bowwood. and it just seems like it would be too brittle to actually withstand the forces it would need to take, 10-20 maybe 30 lb bows could be made hypothetically speaking, but i wouldnt really care to do so. if you think you could get something out of it, you should go for it.

[JW_Halverson]

Something around 30-35 lbs draw weight.  Something ladylike and pretty.

I have some cream colored silk that would match the color of the sapwood, so backing is certainly in the cards, too.

[sleek]

Hmmmmm.... JW, you wanna make a bow lady like and pretty... 30-35 lb ish. Dont use that, use something proper. I have a bit of black cherry I can send ya ifn you pay shipping...

[JW_Halverson]

Nah, I kinda want that sapwood/heartwood thingy going on.  The intended recipient is of English extraction and is into the whole SCA thingy.

[sleek]

Post pics bud, I wanna see this one.

[half eye]

Jw, since I know ya made just a couple of bows and seein as how that wood was invading yer brain with bow thoughts.....my money is on you. Ya know I would probably try that, but hell I'm crazy, dont ya know?  I will bet you CAN make a bow from it.
rich

[JW_Halverson]

Of course a bow can be made of it.  For that matter, I think I will make one from a green ponderosa sapling this summer. 

That being said, I'm hoping someone chimes in with experience with this wood so that I can dial back my expectations or narrow down the options for design from the limitations of the wood.  I'm so tight, I hate wasting a 65 cent fence rail that I'm still gonna get a hundred turkey call striker pegs out of anyway!

Yeah, I'm tight...scrooge-like, even.  Heck, I refuse to fart unless I'm alone because I don't wanna share!

[UserNameTaken]

I've been wondering if trapping the back of a western red cedar bow and backing it might produce results.

[JW_Halverson]

Good question, UNT.  Or would reverse trapping help because the wood is fairly brittle?  A wider back and a narrower belly?

[twisted hickory]

Intresting this topic came up. I am thinking a 45 lb eastern red cedar backed with hickory. I have a cople of near stove pipe straight staves that I could take the back off of and glue it to some ERC for the handle/belly.
Go 4 it and let us all know how it works.
Greg

[paulsemp]

  Heck, I refuse to fart unless I'm alone because I don't wanna share!

I am definitely going to use that one when the time is right

[rossfactor]

I made a bow from WRC.  Years ago.  It was 52" long, 2 inches wide, rawhide backed, bend through the handle.  More like bind only in the handle.    Anyway, that puppy held together for a good 300 shots, and it shot like a sunofagun.  But than it blew to smithereens.

So. What I'm saying is, it can probably be done at the weight you are interested in.  I think WRC and sinew would be a good match.  Look for very tight growth rings.

Gabe

[autologus]

Back it with some Dog Bone rawhide, that stuff is thick enough to hold it together.

Grady