Standing Dead Cedar ?

[Eric Krewson]

I was walking around on my neighbors place and noticed he had a dozen or so standing dead ERCs, some with very clear wood on one side. I have always wanted to make an ERC bow but haven't had access to any clear wood. He said to cut what ever I wanted.

 I suspect these trees have been dead for 20 years or so. The sapwood is sound in some places and and rotting in others.

Have any of you found any good bow wood in old dead cedars?

[Hillbilly]

If it isn't eaten up with bugs, the heartwood may still be good. It's really rot resistant, I've seen cedar fenceposts that have been buried in the ground for a generation or more that are still sound.

[Timo]

Should be sound Eric. Cedar will last a long time standing dead.I'd say that the sapwood(what's left of it) most likely gives it some protection?

Rehydration may be in order though?

[Pappy]

Always be some what leery of dead standing trees but I would suspect if any would work it would be ERC or Osage .  I have a lot of them to so keep us up dated on how it works out. 
   Pappy

[yazoo]

I would be afraid of it, very very afraid,

[Eric Krewson]

I tend to agree with you Zaz, at least I will have some nice cedar to play with on my lathe. I cut one up to see what was inside.

I started with a downed tree.



Kerfed it before I split it.



Looks sound inside but is very wet.



Hauled back to my shop.



Worked down and coated with shellac. The checks go deep, so do the powder post beetle holes. The sapwood is chalky until you get to the heart wood at which point it becomes hard. Overall the wood seems pretty soft but having put the draw knife to only osage and hickory for the last 15 years it could be my slanted perception of "soft".

[DCM]

If nothing else it would make some killer accent pieces for bbo and such.  Parting revealed a butt load of knots too!  I've always been intrigued by erc.  Got a piece started in my hot box for 5 years, at least.  When you fetch up a stick and it's so light compared to osage, it's hard to imagine bow wood.  But if it holds together, imagine the cast you can make w/ such light wood.

[Eric Krewson]

I cut the log down the middle of the existing limbs, sorta' like splitting osage through the cats eyes. The piece in the vise is knot free except for a partial knot at the edge of one side.

Gonna' be a lot of cedar tillering gizmos coming out of my shop. I have to use all this pretty wood for something.

[yazoo]

it sure smells good

[Ryano]

The only advise I have for you is back it ! I've made a couple of unbacked cedar bows and once they dry out they go "poof" and come apart in so many pieces that you'll never find it all. Cedar is the only "bow wood" I can think of that I wouldn't keep in a hot box, trust me you don't want this stuff to dry. It is pretty wood and it smells awesome. 

[Dean Marlow]

Erik be careful with cedar. I had one that was sinewed backed that exploded on me. It sounded like a cannon going off. Pull it on the tillering tree several times before you start shooting it. Dean

[Eric Krewson]

I ended up with lots of scrap.



Three possible clear staves and lots of future gizmos. One stave is bug, knot and check free. Overall the wood is 27 grains to the inch. This one stave has two grains that could actually be chased on the back then it turns tight.



I have made a bunch of bows and will proceed cautiously on this one. Having only a 25" draw might be a asset on this one.

I dug out a sharp but bent bandsaw blade to cut this cedar because of the grit in sapwood. While I had my bad blade on I rounded up all the osage burls I had in the shop and sliced them up, burls are really full of grit. I ended up with a 5 gallon bucket full of future tip overlays, absolutely stunning stuff.

[yazoo]

I could never shoot a cedar bow, I would have my eyes shut