Cedar Survival Bow

[BeePrimitive]

While I wait for my CM to dry, I am really itching to make a bow. I am a big fan of Clay Hayes on YouTube and I remember he built a cedar survival bow. His tree was only about 4” in diameter. He roughed it out the same day and was shooting it a couple days after.

Now, we have pretty much wiped out any cedars that are fence post size or below. We do have trees anywhere from 1’ to 4’ in diameter.

 My questions are: 

Is there any advantage to using a larger tree over a smaller one?

I know that moisture in cedar is lower than other woods but can I really expect to have a bow that will last if I shoot for harvesting the tree and making it within a week or two?

I’m sorry if these are silly questions but I am really new to this!

[aznboi3644]

Clay Hayes used a heat box to speed up his drying process and he has a moisture meter.  I’ve made a bow from tree to bow in a month with air drying.  Build you a heat box and get a meter and start chopping. 

[PatM]

You can use  pretty much any wood in two weeks if you rush the process. 

[PaSteve]

That was a survival bow Clay built. It wasn't really made for longevity.

[bownarra]

Yes forget the cedar and use a medium density hardwood like ash or elm.
Reduce to floor tiller.
Dry slowly initially, drying can get more intensive as the stave dries further. Eg. once most of the moisture is out of it there is less chance of damaging the wood with heat.
You can dry it with a hotbox, a car on a sunny day, a plastic tube with a light at one end or a slow burning pit of coals etc.
If you have a set of scales weigh the stave once reduced to floor tiller. Then keep weighing it periodically. Once the rate of moisture loss has slowed you can start hitting it with heat.
If you get impatient start another one! I'd probably do 3 rough outs from different species of tree.

[BeePrimitive]

PatM, does speeding up the process with a hotbox compromise the integrity of the wood?

I do want a bow that will last so I may do what bownarra suggested and make multiple floor tillers and let them dry.

[PatM]

No.   A steady drop in moisture is safe.    Heat  treating does a lot more to wood than quick drying in a hot box.

[BeePrimitive]

Thank you, sir! I will start on that then.

I also have the opportunity to get a bunch of Osage from 2 fellow beekeepers who are clearing land for their bee yards. The one guy has 2000 acres and is trying to remove all of the Osage from an old hedgerow. All he wants in return is a bow. My brother and I are going to go out there soon to try to get some. I have never worked Osage so I am not familiar with what to look for in a tree. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

[BeePrimitive]

This is one of the medium sized cedars we have behind the house! This one is about 3’ in diameter.

https://i.imgur.com/QIh67Pu.jpg