Author Topic: Cheap staves at LOWES  (Read 11879 times)

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Offline Hickoryswitch

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Cheap staves at LOWES
« on: March 30, 2008, 10:17:11 pm »
I was in lowes today and found some western cedar. It's split rail fence bout 8 feet long. If you kinda look through it most of them will make 2 bows. Thing is I'm not sure how to use cedar without sinew backing it. Could you all give me some suggestions please I really can't pass it up for 9 dollars.

Wayne Silverthorn

Offline El Destructo

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2008, 10:19:34 pm »
Hickory Back it....or a nice thin Boo.....Or even Rawhide wouild work fine
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Offline Hickoryswitch

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2008, 10:22:17 pm »
Will this take the stress of a recurve. Oh please tell me yes i wanna build a recurve. At least i'd like to try to build a recurve. I have all the forms from when i built glass bows.

Wayne Silverthorn

Offline El Destructo

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2008, 10:31:00 pm »
Lets hope that someone else chimes in....cause I dont make recurves...so I dont know........I make Native American Bows
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Offline Hickoryswitch

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2008, 10:35:31 pm »
Did'nt some of the Native American bows have mild recurves ? 

Wayne Silverthorn

Offline El Destructo

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2008, 10:39:25 pm »
They flipped the Tips....but when I think of a recurve...I think of Big Gawdy Handles...deflexed limbs with Bent Tips....not Bows like the one I am building with the smooth curves and flipoped tips!!!!

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As a species we're fundamentally insane. Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up ways to kill one another.Why do you think we invented politics and religion.
Think HEALTHCARE Is Expensive Now,Wait Till It's FREE
Do Or Do Not,There Is No TRY
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Offline Hickoryswitch

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2008, 10:44:19 pm »
What you built is more of what i'm interested in. I don't want a glass bow made of wood. I really like the lines of the bow you showed in the pic.
Wayne Silverthorn

Offline mullet

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2008, 01:45:51 am »
   Western Cedar will make a better arrow. It is very brittle and IMOP not worth wasting backing material on unless you are making a kids bow. But I would hate to make one for that special little one and watch it blow.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2008, 01:52:44 am »
I have had 2 primo western cedar staves(lowe's fence rails) in my basement bow stave pile for 10 years now and can't make myself use them or throw them away. ???
   Go to the "fancy" lumber section at lowe's and get a red oak board. You will have way more success.   Pat
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Far East Archer

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2008, 04:01:27 am »
Red oak steam bends quite well compared to western cedar IMO  :)

Alex

Offline El Destructo

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2008, 04:05:53 am »
i have had many Red Oak Boards break due to Steaming bends into them...it seems to dry them out even more...and they crack while bending them....thats just my luck though!!!!
As a species we're fundamentally insane. Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up ways to kill one another.Why do you think we invented politics and religion.
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2008, 09:37:58 am »
Western Red Cedar is not in the same league with ERC- I wouldn't trust it too far.
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Offline stiknstring

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2008, 01:08:28 pm »
Yankee do you use a backing strap of some sort (alluminum or thin mild steel) when you bend the curves?  You might also have better luck leaving them full width and then tapering afterwards.  I read some good stuff on that in the TBB books as well as Reginald Laubins book

Offline El Destructo

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2008, 01:13:08 pm »
Yankee do you use a backing strap of some sort (alluminum or thin mild steel) when you bend the curves?  You might also have better luck leaving them full width and then tapering afterwards.  I read some good stuff on that in the TBB books as well as Reginald Laubins book

No I have a Wood Form that I clamp them to and bend the Tips around when I pull them from the Steam or Boiling Water....and with Osage....I heat it till you cant touch it for but a second....then clamp it at the Tip....and keep heating as I bend it around the Form....always seems to work....I was always under the Impression that the further you reduce the Wood to perfect tiller....before you bend them...the less the possibility of cracking a Tip....due to the Fact that there is less resistance from the wood???
As a species we're fundamentally insane. Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up ways to kill one another.Why do you think we invented politics and religion.
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Cheap staves at LOWES
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2008, 05:24:00 pm »
Western Cedar has a specific gravity of .34, not bow material, some pines have a similar SG.