Please help a newbie evaluate cedar logs

[Whiskeyjet]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here. I've started my first bow this week (red oak board bow) but what brings me here today is I would greatly appreciate anyone and everyone's opinion on evaluating the quality and potential of some cedar logs I cut yesterday in my backyard. I think it is ERC but I am not great at identifying trees and plants.

So any idea if I'm looking at usable wood, its relative quality, where i should try to split it?  Appreciate any and all comments and thoughts on making cedar bows. 

Thanks,

Jeff

[osage outlaw]

Maybe its just me but I can't see your pictures.

[turtle]

I cant see them either.

[Whiskeyjet]

Hmm not sure what's wrong they show up for me

[BowEd]

Whiskeyjet....No pics.Down loading photobucket helps with picture transfers.Anyway...ERC is a pretty tempermental wood to start out making self bows with really but you might have some pretty clean stuff.Dark heartwood reddish in color and white sapwood on it.Got any hackberry or hickory around?They are a little more forgiving/straighter/and cleaner woods with less knots to learn about tillering.Osage would be the most forgiving wood to start out with really.

[willie]

they opened for me ok, but it was in my photo editor as a jpeg 2000 file.

the middle log looks like it may have some potential, in fact I would keep them all, but as beadman says, save it for after you get some experience under your belt.

[Whiskeyjet]

Yeah I used Jpeg2000 just to get the size down quick... Photobucket you say? I'll check it out.  I definitely do not intend to make cedar bows for a while for the reasons mentioned.  I don't want to bother seasoning firewood either

I am using a scrap piece for the handle on my board bow that I am making.  Tillering starts tomorrow...

[Whiskeyjet]

Beadman... hate to say it but I have no idea what I have around to cut. I live in the city and also have to deal with Chesapeake bay protection laws so I can't just cut down anything I like.  I do have a sycamore tree with some veeery long and straight branches that shoot up for 20ft or more.  Will prob harvest them for future use as well once I catch up.  I've got my dad scouting the area back home in NY for hickory, black locust, ironwood and such.

Thanks guys

Jeff

[justsomedude]

I've only made walking sticks out of it. I have access to LOTS of it. But now I am going to be looking for a straight one. Not easy to find. I do plan to try using some as accent wood though like you are.

I just started a board bow and have cut a block of Osage for the handle. Trying to decide if Osage and Oak will look good. Cedar would for sure.

[Limbit]

Seems to me they've all got a lot of knots and twist. You know how to splice? I'd just cut clean wood into 100cm stumps, split them into billets and splice them with a band saw. A lot of work I suppose for something that size, but I'd never let juniper go to waste....ever.

[Stick Bender]

Whiskeyjet Welcome I live in a city area also & when I first started doing this I thought like you & then started looking around & became a member of a local arboretum to help with Tree ID plus my wife studied horticulture in college & found a lot of trees in my area I buy most of my staves but have plans to cut some trees in my area I found this hedge tree 15 feet off one of the heavest traveled highways in the midwest , but if you can get a hold of some hickory its a very forgiving wood for your first stave bow I made the mistake of trying to start using some of my worst staves to start & ended up frustraited I would start with the best wood you can get  Good luck !

[BowEd]

Welcome to the forum first off and the itch to build wooden bows.It'll make ya scratch....lol.Your lucky to have your dad connection in NY.Those are pretty nice bow woods.Good too to learn with your board bow build.Keep us updated.

[Pat B]

Your pic size is way too bug. 640x480 is what they should be.  By signing on to Photobucket or other pic storage site your pics get resized so most forums can handle them.
 Welcome to PA.

[Whiskeyjet]

Jeff has

A) two potential staves to season
B) one ok stave
C) ample supplies for handles and practice woodcarving knick knacks.

Thanks again guys I appreciate your willingness to share knowledge with a rank beginner.

[DuBois]

I like the 1st and last pics. HOw long are those? That is ERC. Probably lots of knots under the bark but still looks pretty straight and I would keep them if I had em in my hands.
I do agree though. Probaly some better woods around for starting out