can cherry be used?

[kid bow]

i have a straight peice of cherry wood about 50 inches long. can it be used as a core for a horn bow? I'm looking to get something pretty high up in weight close to 75lb draw weight wise. also I still need to find a pair of horn that can be used. also I'm assuming you sinew back before you put the horn on the belly side of the bow? I'm pretty new so I'm trying to get started in it. do you tiller before you put the sinew on and then re tiller the bow once you've got the sinew on their and then do the same when the horn is applied? you can tell I'm new to this so I figured id ask the experts before I do anything stupid.

[Aaron H]

If it's Asiatic horn bows you are interested in building, then do yourself a favor and buy a copy of Adam Karpowicz's book. It is a very comprehensive book for building compounds of all kinds.

[NorthHeart]

If it's Asiatic horn bows you are interested in building, then do yourself a favor and buy a copy of Adam Karpowicz's book. It is a very comprehensive book for building compounds of all kinds.

Ive been looking for a paper copy of this book in English.  Google search just confused me more.  Does any one know if a hard copy is available anywhere online?

Kid bow hope im not hi-jaking your thread but this book will really help us both

[stuckinthemud]

There are no hard copies available in English, I had to get an electronic copy but my boss let me print it off in work for free - she's a great boss!   

[Aaron H]

I looked for over a year to find a used copy of Adam's first print, but like had been said, you can readily get an ebook copy online.  Plus I think there were a few changes and additions in the second edition (ebook version).

[davidjw]

Definitely get Adam's book somehow, every now and again they pop up used on popular auction and book retailer sites.  But as a short answer to you questions;  Cherry can be used for the core as long as the grain is good and there are no knots.  But not for bows over 50lbs, if I remember correctly.  A SG of .65 or higher would be required for that.  You will hopefully get the horn on before you sinew, and only do any tillering after the bow is finished and seasoned, it's all precise measuring up until that point.

[Marc St Louis]

Cherry can be used for the core as long as the grain is good and there are no knots.  But not for bows over 50lbs, if I remember correctly.  A SG of .65 or higher would be required for that.

I would be inclined to think that this is not entirely correct.  If the wood has interlocking grain, such as Elm, then a lower SG would probably work quite well for heavy bows.  Unfortunately Cherry does not have interlocking grain

[davidjw]

Yes indeed you are probably correct, good point.  However, woods with interlocking grain are often avoided do to the difficulty in grooving.

[davidjw]

On second though, would interlocking grain allow for more shear stress, and that is why a lower sg wood might work?  I am probably missing something, but at a glance SG seems to correlate more closely to shear strength then grain type.