Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Hickoryswitch on March 30, 2008, 10:17:11 pm
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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.
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Hickory Back it....or a nice thin Boo.....Or even Rawhide wouild work fine
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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.
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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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Did'nt some of the Native American bows have mild recurves ?
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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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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.
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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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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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Red oak steam bends quite well compared to western cedar IMO :)
Alex
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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!!!!
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Western Red Cedar is not in the same league with ERC- I wouldn't trust it too far.
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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
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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???
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Western Cedar has a specific gravity of .34, not bow material, some pines have a similar SG.
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I went thru the whole pile of western ceder at Lowes last week...every peice, and I mean every one, had so much bug damage it was useless! There were still some living borers of some sort in some of it :'( I wouldnt even use that in the barn....Brian
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Western red cedar is WAY to brittle...spose if you want a wide low poundage bow maybe.... ;D
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Should have read better....I just seen red Cedar....not Western....way bad for Bows...not like it's cousin's ERC...or Juniper!!!
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Thanks everyone I thought it would be somewhat similar to ERC. Thats why i ask the people with answers. ;D