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Author Topic: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?  (Read 34989 times)

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Offline Chuck Jones

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Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« on: November 05, 2007, 07:07:24 pm »
Out at the property we have we have been clearing some of the cedar to make a camping spot. I see some cedar bows posted but they seem to always be backed with something else.  Looking at a piece of cedar that I cut it seems to have a lot of sapwood around the heartwood.  If I continue with this idea do I need to remove all of the sapwood and just use the cedar to make the bow?

Or is this just a bad idea to start with...chuck
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Chuck Jones San Antonio, Texas

Offline 1/2primitive

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2007, 07:20:22 pm »
I made an unbacked cedar longbow a while back, 50 lb. I made it 62" long, and it can be drawn to 28". It is a bending handle designed bow. It is almost all sapwood. In fact, in one of the limbs the sapwood is so thick that the bending portion is completely sapwood, from back to belly. I have another piece in the woodpile that I've been eying up.  ;)
The reason that they are normally backed is that cedar can blow up on you if it is not tillered just so, and no one likes a broken bow. ;) :D
If you are going to make cedar bows, I would suggest backing them until you feel comfortable.
     Sean
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Dallas/Fort Worth Tx.

Offline Chuck Jones

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2007, 07:59:07 pm »
Sean--thanks for that information.  Then I should square the piece off like a board would be instead of using the rounded back.  What tillering advice would you offer?..chuck
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Chuck Jones San Antonio, Texas

Offline adb

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2007, 08:21:43 pm »
Eastern Red Cedar is actually in the juniper family, and it makes excellent bows. Just ask Marc St. Louis. If you're using true cedar, it's a little light and soft, but if you back it, with maple (my favourite), it works OK. Keep the bow long, and light weight to avoid set.
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2007, 08:55:28 pm »
When you say cedar you need to specify what exactly what your talking about. In my part of the country cedar is Northern White Cedar
useless for a bow, might make arra's and is great kindling. ;D
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Minuteman

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2007, 09:29:04 pm »
Eastern red cedar will make a bow.
 
http://spoon-river.k12.il.us/Leaf%20HTML%20Pages/EasternRedCedarpage.html
 
 Does tend to spontaneously detonate in yer hand while at full draw though if unbacked. You ain't lived til you've had a cedar bow let go at full draw and split in half along it length while simultaneously wacking you on top of the head with 10 inches of limb tip. Aah the memories....
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Offline M-P

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2007, 10:49:17 pm »
Hi,  I like eastern red cedar ( and the very closely related rocky mountain juniper).  The staves should be treated as a white wood.  There's no need to chase rings or decrown etc.  DO BE AWARE THAT THE WOOD IS WEAK IN TENSION.  Design your bow with wide limbs to spread out the tension or back with a thin backing.   Junipers have a reputaion of liking a thin sinew backing and my experience bears this out.  Wide thin limbs and a sinew backing will produce a durable bow with little string follow, or even maintain a 2-3 reflex.  In addition the wood is easy to work and seasoned wood makes your whole shop smell like a cedar chest.
Ron
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Offline Chuck Jones

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2007, 10:55:56 am »
Thanks for the information.  The cedar I have growing I have no idea what the species is.  Being in South Texas I doubt that it is anything usable, however, I think I want to try it out.  The piece I started working on isnt wide enough from the above comments.  I would need a 4" log to start with I believe.  I need to look at it again and check the width in the handle area.  Thanks for all the information...chuck
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Chuck Jones San Antonio, Texas

Offline Pat B

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2007, 11:01:03 am »
Take pics of the tree and the end cut. We can tell from that if it is ERC.   Pat
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline snedeker

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2007, 11:38:03 am »
It may well be white cedar or arborvitae.  ERC, the good stuff, has distinguishable leaves - look them up online on a plant ID site.  White cedar is not bow worthy.

I might admit that I've never done an ERC, although I have a couple staves over here poking mem in the ribs.

Dave
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jcougar

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #10 on: November 06, 2007, 01:00:41 pm »
I has been my expirience that ERC works best in a d-bow style, with a very flat back and a rounded belly.
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Offline Chuck Jones

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #11 on: November 06, 2007, 03:21:20 pm »
I'll get a pic maybe this weekend...chuck
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Chuck Jones San Antonio, Texas

MattE

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #12 on: November 06, 2007, 05:11:48 pm »
ERC makes a fine d-secyion bow as well as a flat one.Its lightness allows you to make a longer now than a heavy wood and still maintaim quickness.
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Trapper

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #13 on: November 06, 2007, 05:47:05 pm »
If you are in south Tx. its probably juniper anyway. I lived just south of Abilene for almost 15 yrs. and all of the old folks around there call what they had cedar but it wasnt its juniper.  and its exellent bowwood,     Trapper
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Offline 1/2primitive

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Re: Cedar as a bow wood?? Good or bad?
« Reply #14 on: November 06, 2007, 06:27:03 pm »
Trapper, where did you live exactly? I've got relatives who live in Winters, if you know where that is.
So it's Juniper that's there, huh? I've got to try it out now..... :)

Tillering advice?        Get it exactly right, lol!
    Sean
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Dallas/Fort Worth Tx.
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