Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: druid on November 17, 2011, 01:58:13 pm

Title: Northern whitecedar
Post by: druid on November 17, 2011, 01:58:13 pm

I have beautifull sapling of this. Have anyone made longbow off this wood?

Title: Re: Northern whitecedar
Post by: Pat B on November 17, 2011, 02:43:08 pm

Probably too light for bows but should make good arrows.

Title: Re: Northern whitecedar
Post by: druid on November 17, 2011, 02:54:12 pm

Not posible for arrows...  :( 2" reflex spread along length. I will try to make some serious weight bow off it. I do not like to use species that can not handle middle weight longbow, narrow profile. Thanks God, I have good forests around my cabin so I am not short supplied with it.

Title: Re: Northern whitecedar
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on November 17, 2011, 02:56:51 pm

My friend built a home using white cedar. It was very soft and very porous, but very weather resistant as well! It would take allot of width and thickness to keep it together as a bow I think. Give it a try and see what happens Druid.

Title: Re: Northern whitecedar
Post by: jonathan creason on November 17, 2011, 04:03:42 pm

I've never tried a bow from white cedar, but I have used it for carving decoys.  It's a very light weight wood and pretty porous wood like Pearl said.  Not sure what kind of bow it would make, but if anybody can do it it's you.

Title: Re: Northern whitecedar
Post by: druid on November 17, 2011, 04:10:09 pm

Seems ther is large difference between yours and this white cedar: this one is very dense, about 0,6 SG, maybe more!!! I do not know how it will hold but it is like iron pipe- totaly unbendible and strong 1 1/2 x 1 1/2.
I will have no mercy for this stave, treating like the best ash.  :) Will see.....
P.S. I found it on translator- thuja occidentalis is whitecedar, right? Here it almost never grows thicker than5" in diameter.

Title: Re: Northern whitecedar
Post by: jonathan creason on November 17, 2011, 04:36:53 pm

It's probably a very different wood then, the type I was carving is Chamaecyparis thyoides.

Now that I think about it I did order some smaller pieces of Norther White Cedar that I carved for heads and stuff.  It is a much denser wood than the Atlantic White Cedar I also used.

Title: Re: Northern whitecedar
Post by: nativenoobowyer86 on November 17, 2011, 10:29:07 pm

I have made a couple dozen shafts from northern white cedar and after getting the spine right they did just as well as the commercial POC shafts i ordered.  It was very soft and easy to work, and had that sweet cedary aroma.  I am surrounded by it and will eventually get a bow out of it, im currently intrigued by the swamp spruce that grows in northern Canada.  With rings tight like yew,  and the bottom-side darker portion (compression wood) of leaners seem much more dense. 

Will be eagerly awaiting the northern white cedar bow. :D