Sinewed black cherry

[BowEd]

Some time ago I made this black cherry bow.At that time it pulled 53#'s @ 28".I left about a 1/8" sapwood on it and sinewed it.No dry heat treating involved on this one as black cherry does'nt respond too well with that.Steam bending yes.After shooting it for 8 months or so with my buddies and at home I thought it showed a fine chrysall on the belly by the top fade.I had finished it with a conversion type quick drying varnish [pre catalyzed magna lac] that if put on too thick will chrysall.I've seen this before with no actual chrysalls in the wood.This finish is normally quite a bit harder than any poly or spar varnish also.It can be seen on arrow shafts too occasionally that have had too thick of fast drying gasket lacquer [a hard brittle finish] put on them.

This black cherry wood is a pretty wood and I know this bow had thousands of arrows through it so I sanded the finish away and the chrysalls were gone so I retillered it down to 48#'s @ 28" as it still is 1 of my favorites and refinished it with spar varnish.64" TTT.It shoots very well.If chrysalls do reappear I think I'll just keep shooting it anyway.Rests with 3.5" reflex.After unbracing from 3 hour shooting it shows a scooch under 3" reflex.Around a 7" bracing height to the back while shooting.
Some copperheads,camel colored hair silk wrappings,cow horn overlays,latigo leather wrap on handle,and antler arrow pass.
We still have some snow hanging around from the latest 14" the last 2 days.Bow shown against another black cherry tree around a foot thick that's bow worthy.I've seen these black cherry trees farther up north where we 3D shoot occasionally 50 to 60 feet tall and 2.5' thick.Around here on my property I hav'nt,but have seen them on the Amish's log pile that size to be milled.Most around here are'nt that large.
If a person has a very large one that's veneer quality it can be worth thousands of dollars.They grow pretty slow though.Like about 50 or 60 years to get a 2.5' diameter trunk.
A bow worthy black cherry center of picture.



A different black cherry tree not so bow worthy











Currently am tillering another sinewed black cherry done in the past.I use the old peg board on these.The portable one I put into the house.Tillering it with a cabinet scraper and 80 grit sand paper.I sinewed this one up while I was shooting the other one so I might as well tiller this one now too.



At rest the tips are not in line at all with opposing propellers from curing of the sinew but when put to brace height the tips are in line.Seen this happen before with no problems down the road.A reflexed bow's tips do not need to be perfectly in line at rest to still hold a string at brace and shoot well.I won't do any type heat corrections to it yet.I will see how it all turns out.

[osage outlaw]

Sweet looking bow Ed.  I wouldn't mind trying a piece of that sometime.  I'll have to watch for one to get taken out by a storm.

[M2A]

Very nice all around. Those skins look good against that dark wood.
Mike

[PaSteve]

Beautiful bow, Ed. Don't see many black cherry bows especially ones that nice. Great job.

[Pat B]

Beautiful bow, Ed, both in appearance and in function. I would think black cherry would be a good candidate for sinew backing.

[Hawkdancer]

Real nice!  Have to put CB on the list to try (find!).  Not much of it out here.
Hawkdancer

[bjrogg]

it is a pretty wood. I have a few very nice ones on my farm. I did sell one for veneer a few years ago. I didn't do nearly that good though. the buyer was looking mostly for hard maple and very good quality logs. if I remember correctly I sold 3 maples.1 cherry and 12 black walnut for $4,000. honestly I wish I had the trees back, but I really needed the money. of coarse the money like the trees is long gone.

ive never tried making a bow from one but I suspect Pat is right. the sinew probably is a good fit
bjrogg

[BowEd]

Thanks fellas....There's a reason not too many black cherry bows are on here.The stuff can be a heart breaker.It'll test your tillering skills.
I've mumbled it's only good for furniture before....Ha Ha.It does'nt like extreme designs,but made in moderation it is a lot more conducive.Either way made either rawhide or sinew is a good choice of backing on it.Maybe even flax fibers too of angel hair or some type of ply linen string but that type backing will take a set and contribute nothing to sustaining reflex.Enough flax backing will contribute to more draw weight poundage though.
I think I've seen bendy handled ones with no backing though.I always leave a little sapwood on it yet mostly because the contrast in color is nice like walnut.It does'nt need to be as wide as walnut though for a hunting weight bow.To me it's a sweet shooting type wood.In times past I've seen choke cherry bows shown but not for quite a while now.Not the same type cherry though.
I had the local forester who's honest and has nothing to gain in my area walk through my property long ago once looking at all the walnuts and oaks.He said you got at least $5000.00 worth here of big logs if you want to cut them down.I've seen the mess that's left when neighbors have done it.I told him no I don't think so and I hav'nt.Loggers are shysters just as much as fur buyers are.A veneer log is a different story though.Less mess and more dollars per board foot.To buy them I would look for a specialty buyer.Not the regular pallet wood buyers in my area of logs.

[bjrogg]

I really hated to sell any but I have so many dead ash trees falling down and knocking them down. Several already had trees leaning against them. I left several standing that he wanted to take.
Bjrogg

[Will B]

That’s a beautiful bow Ed. I love the dark color and the copperhead skins. Thanks for sharing. Always like seeing your work here

[Pappy]

Beautiful bow and great save.
 Pappy

[silent sniper]

Incredible cherry bow! I’m glad you posted this, I have been debating making a cherry longbow and your experiences have showed me that it can be worthwhile. Very nice 👍🏻

[Bob Barnes]

another awesome bow Ed... and that room with all of the cool things that you have made including the bed and the peg board...cool stuff.  I have lots of big black cherry trees but the only buyers here are sawlogs and pulpwood.  I've never tried it since I have osage, hickory, and hackberry.  Your bow looks like it'll hunt.   

[simson]

Super nice bow out of a not that common wood. The comby with sinew is a good idea with the compression strength of black cherry.
I like how she shows her muscels in the unbraced profile.
The pics are nice too, congrats for such a beauty!

[Badger]

  Beautiful job on that bow Ed.