Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Stickhead on February 14, 2023, 08:17:47 pm
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Hey, gang,
I'm an ERC fan, and I've had my eye on this tree on my friend's property where I hunt. He let me harvest it, requesting a bow in return. I couldn't believe how clean this wood turned out to be. I've never seen an ERC tree with so few knots or bad spots. I got 13 viable staves out of ONE LOG, including 4 belly splits! Pretty sure there's a bow in every one of the sapwood staves. A couple of the belly splits might need to be shortened for billets due to a couple of old knots, but that's fine with me. Gonna have my work cut out for me once these puppies dry.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZIFzZnB.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qzujFx4.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XvvFmOX.jpg)
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Great score Tom! Cleanest ERC on the planet. I love how you posted the same on Facebook and got a ton of responses telling you that it’s no good for bow building. Some people’s kids, I tell you! You won’t have that same response here. Excited to see your first build with them.
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I bet your shop smells like heaven! Red cedar is by far my favorite wood to cut.
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Man those are some insanely clean staves. I can almost smell ‘em.
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Damn, That is a sweet haul. Looking forward to seeing these turn into bows.
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Yeah sure wish we could smell that from here. If I use my imagination I almost can.
Nice haul
Bjrogg
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Y’all are right about the smell. It even hides the cigar smell.
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Nice haul. :OK
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Tom do you use the sap wood for the back? How wide do you suggest? And when can I expect one in the mail? 🤠🤠
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Y’all are right about the smell. It even hides the cigar smell.
My shop wreaks of cigar smoke. I need an ERC stave stood up in the corner :)
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ERC sapwood by itself makes a good bow.
Pearlie, that's about all you would use an ERC stave for isn't it?
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Tom do you use the sap wood for the back? How wide do you suggest? And when can I expect one in the mail? 🤠🤠
Some of these I’ll back, but some I’ll attempt self bows. The heartwood / sapwood line is remarkably straight on some of these, so I can chase a ring (difficult, but not impossible), and leave about 1/4” of sapwood as the back. When it works, it’s a great bow. When it doesn’t, it’s quite an explosion.
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Holy crap those are nice! Ya mother load is right not just in quantity but quality too. I don’t honk I e ever seen erc so clean.
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Nice haul! Look forward to see what you make from those beautiful staves.
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Did those split out like that. They look split and not cut, but after trying to split the only juniper log I ever tried to turn into staves, I’m finding it hard to believe that those split that beautifully.
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Wow, really beautiful! Never seen it so nice.
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Thats an awesome score. Can smell it from here.
Mike
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Did those split out like that. They look split and not cut, but after trying to split the only juniper log I ever tried to turn into staves, I’m finding it hard to believe that those split that beautifully.
The first pic is how they split in the field. The pics in my shop are after I reduced them to bow size using a combination of splitting and bandsaw cuts.
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Beautiful staves. However I don't think there is a more difficult and temperamental wood to make a bow from. UNLESS...you back it. Then it's game on. Hickory, bamboo, and sinew are popular backings for ERC.
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Pearly's favorite wood.
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awesome job... I have a log that will yield about the same, but they are few and far between. I will be watching for sure. I had planned to use just the sapwood for bows, and sinew backed at that... I love the heartwood, but haven't had any luck with it, even when backed. I'm watching and learning...thanks.
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awesome job... I have a log that will yield about the same, but they are few and far between. I will be watching for sure. I had planned to use just the sapwood for bows, and sinew backed at that... I love the heartwood, but haven't had any luck with it, even when backed. I'm watching and learning...thanks.
If you have a cut log now, I recommend you split and debark it right away. Bugs like to get under the bark. It’ll dry pretty quickly, so seal the ends.