ERC question

[Scallorn]

I have an eastern red cedar stave that's about 76 inches long by about 1 and 1/2 inches wide. Will it make an English longbow? I have been told ERC is kinda like poor man's yew but I'm not sure.

[meanewood]

Seeing as no one else is offering advise on this question, I'll make the statement, yes it will!

I've only made one bow from ERC but it came out quite good.
It was full of knots but it has no crystaling, because I kept the belly quite flat and made the bow long (80in).

I got the stave from the grounds of an old insane asylum thinking it was Irish Yew but it turned out to be ERC which is a Juniper if you didn't know!

[loon]

Is it stronger in compression than in tension?

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I havnt messed with much cedar yet. But I'd say it's more that it's enough weaker in tension that it makes it compression strong. But id say that ERC is more compression resilient as opposed to compression strong. Meaning that it doesn't so much resist compression like dense woods, as much as that it can and will compress and spring right back where it was to a greater extent before taking permanent damage. I gather this from backing some ERC with stuff to help with tension. When backed it seems to pick up much more weight than woods that are more tension strong.

Kyle

[Marc St Louis]

Made this self warbow out ERC 10 years ago, I think it came out at somewhere around 120# @ 32", so yes it should be OK.

[matte]

Marc, You sure make a beautiful bow.
Matt