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Author Topic: ERC advice  (Read 2530 times)

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Offline autologus

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ERC advice
« on: July 21, 2013, 04:44:16 pm »
Here is my latest project and im looking for some advice. I have it just starting to bend at floor tiller and was wondering if you would decrown it before backing it in rawhide?  It has a fairly high crown and I will loose most of the heart wood reducing the weight.  It is 60" long and 2" wide limbs.  I plan on backing with rawhide regardless.

Grady






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Offline M-P

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2013, 04:08:53 am »
Howdy,  ERC has a reputation for being weak in tension.  That's usually made me reluctant to touch the back of the stave except to add sinew.  Other folks on this site have chased rings to thin or remove the sapwood, so I suppose decrowning is an option.  Especially, of you're adding rawhide anyway.
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Offline autologus

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2013, 02:44:39 pm »
Decrown the stave or not?  I will back with rawhide either way, I would like to keep some of the heartwood.  It will be mostly sapwood if I don't decrown it.  Will the rawhide be enough of a backing if it is dercrowned?

Grady
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Offline Josh B

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2013, 02:52:14 pm »
I would decrown it and save that heartwood.  Erc is far more sensitive to a high crown than it is to ring violation.  The heartwood is a lot better in compression than sapwood, so it's more desirable than just for aesthetics.  Josh
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Offline autologus

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2013, 03:24:41 pm »
Thanks, Josh
I was worried about the high crown since it would have less surface area for tension with the high crown than if I decrowned it.  I know ERC is very tension weak and I was afraid the high crown would compound the problem.  I think this will make a nice bow, it is fairly free of knots and has a nice reflex.  It is extremely light in the hand.

Grady
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Offline nugget

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2013, 06:02:52 pm »
Decrown and slap on some rawhide. I have made several ERC bows that way and they all survived
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Offline M-P

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2013, 01:00:04 am »
Quote from: nugget on July 22, 2013, 06:02:52 pm
Decrown and slap on some rawhide. I have made several ERC bows that way and they all survived
It's nice to know someone has actually done this.   Ron
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"A man should make his own arrows."   Omaha proverb   

"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."    Will Rogers

Offline Josh B

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2013, 01:09:58 am »
Quote from: M-P on July 24, 2013, 01:00:04 am
Quote from: nugget on July 22, 2013, 06:02:52 pm
Decrown and slap on some rawhide. I have made several ERC bows that way and they all survived
It's nice to know someone has actually done this.   Ron

What do you mean by the "actually done this" comment?  There have been several done that way just in the last few years.  I decrown them and don't put any backing at all.  If the search function worked better it would help to find quite a few of them.  Josh
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Offline Joec123able

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #8 on: July 24, 2013, 01:16:28 am »
Quote from: Gun Doc on July 24, 2013, 01:09:58 am
Quote from: M-P on July 24, 2013, 01:00:04 am
Quote from: nugget on July 22, 2013, 06:02:52 pm
Decrown and slap on some rawhide. I have made several ERC bows that way and they all survived
It's nice to know someone has actually done this.   Ron

What do you mean by the "actually done this" comment?  There have been several done that way just in the last few years.  I decrown them and don't put any backing at all.  If the search function worked better it would help to find quite a few of them.  Josh

Here's one of yours

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,31071.msg411474.html#msg411474
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Offline autologus

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2013, 01:22:44 am »
Nice I'm encouraged now.  I will probably put the rawhide on since my tillering skills are not as good as some of you guys.  I may even get some skins for it too.

Grady
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Offline M-P

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2013, 02:44:03 am »
Howdy,   Sorry Josh, great work, I just missed seeing the earlier threads. 
For my money, one of the best things about this site is seeing what others are doing, in the way of making wooden bows.  I like juniper, but hadn't seen anybody decrown it yet.
'Course, now Grady has to let us know how his stave turns out.      Ron
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"A man should make his own arrows."   Omaha proverb   

"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."    Will Rogers

blackhawk

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2013, 07:21:46 am »
I would've thinned down the sapwood first before belly removal....but if I had a 2" wide 60" long piece of erc I'd be sinewing that for sure
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Offline autologus

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2013, 09:51:01 am »
The limbs are about 3/4" to 1" thick from top of crown to belly so I should have enough meat in the limbs, the sides that are flat are about 1/2 go 5/8" thick.  I have never done a sinew job so if I were to sinew the bow in your opinion would you change the profile any and approximately how many deer leg sinews do you think it would take.  I certainly am not afraid to take on the task and try it, but definitely would need some guidance.  I have read most of the build alongs on here about sinew backed bows so I feel confident that I can do it.

Grady
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blackhawk

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2013, 10:17:51 am »
Since your stave is mostly sapwood I personally wouldn't sinew it now....hence why I said I would've thinned the sapwood down first to ensure enough heartwood on the belly....as is you will most likely lose most of the heartwood in that stave...but alls not a loss....there's still a bow in that. But not sure what I'd do with it personally..maybe shred it up for some hamster shavings  >:D  some guys might still sinew that...but not me...that's just my personal opinion and preference is all...and what has worked best for me
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Offline autologus

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Re: ERC advice
« Reply #14 on: July 24, 2013, 10:22:05 am »
Trust me I have plenty of hamster shavings already.  ;) Guess I will decrown it and continue with the plan to back it with rawhide.  I still have some more staves from that tree so I will keep your advice in mind when I pull one of those out.

Grady
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