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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: D.A. Davis on April 15, 2009, 04:40:00 PM

Title: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: D.A. Davis on April 15, 2009, 04:40:00 PM

Is Red Cedar a wood that you could use for a selfbow?  I only ask because we've got a large one laying on our hunting cabin as the result of the ice storm we had here in Arkansas back around the first of the year.  I'm going to have to take a chainsaw to it.  It's probably 14 or 15 inches diameter, and straight for about 30 plus feet.  What do you think, is it something I'd want to save?

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: Dano on April 15, 2009, 05:13:00 PM

Yep, I'd save it. Makes great bamboo or hickory backed bows, never tried a selfbow but heard it works.

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: mike mcguire on April 15, 2009, 10:14:00 PM

red cedar can be a heart breaker,low poundage, extra long, and hold your breath

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: Mounter on April 15, 2009, 10:58:00 PM

The ones I've seen are always backed with hickory or bamboo, but IMO are some of the nicest looking out there!!!

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: Roy Steele on April 16, 2009, 11:16:00 AM

I knew a guy that built a few ceader bows.Mostly he built flat bops.Wide ,long,keept it in the 55 pound and down range.He like you got a big tree an did'nt want to wast it.
  Not to my likeing but his bows were fine.

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: Walt Francis on April 16, 2009, 01:50:00 PM

I have built two red cedar bows and last I heard they were both shooting after several years.  It makes a very fast bow and is easy to work.  To be on the safe side backed both with snake skins.

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: Fletcher on April 16, 2009, 05:06:00 PM

It makes GREAT lams for a glass longbow.

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: Aram on April 16, 2009, 08:31:00 PM

14 -15 inches!!! That's a beauty. Do you know anyone with a mill. You could have that milled and use it for all kinds of projects. If you have it milled in 2" slabs you can always rip laminations on a table saw later.
I made one red cedar unbacked bow. It lasted until a friend tried to string it.  :(  
I assume you have the eastern red cedar (which is really a juniper) as we do in NY. I think Walt is talking about the Western (true) red cedar. I've seen those in Idaho so in Montana must be the same.
Eastern cedar is easy to work also but I wouldn't push any limits with it. It's very light in weight so I assume you can gain some speed there without loading too much poundage onto it.

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: loyd on April 18, 2009, 05:58:00 AM

i made one last year was a good shooter sold it at mo-jam hope its still a longbow. loyd

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: shamus on April 18, 2009, 11:11:00 AM

for a selfbow: back it, and tiller real careful as cedar can fret.

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: UnderControl16 on April 22, 2009, 09:01:00 PM

I've built a 40# selfbow from a ceder board with no backing and have shot it many times with no issues....

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: KENDALL TECHAU on April 30, 2009, 10:39:00 PM

I'm finishing one up currently,It's backed with hickory 1/32" thick. I needed a short bow for my blind for turkeys.Made it from a 4" diameter sapling. I put Copperhead over the hickory. It's 54", 1 and 3/8" wide to 1/2" tips. 52#@27". It took 1 and 1/2" set. Shoots quick,I hope it doesn't fret!! I'll post some pictures of it when I'm done.

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: Walt Francis on May 03, 2009, 10:58:00 PM

Aram,
Both bows were made with eastern red cedar that I got at MoJam in 2001.

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: Pat B on May 04, 2009, 01:02:00 PM

I have made 2 ERC self bows backed with rawhide. Both went BOOM!...and I mean BOOM!
   I wouldn't hesitate to buil another but would use hickory backing on it. I do have a 49" bow layed out, half heartwood/sapwood that I plan to sinew back.
 ERC can make an excellent backed bow.

Title: Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
Post by: va on May 06, 2009, 04:39:00 PM

Question about Cedar for anyone who has made a bow of it.

Did the failures happen in tension or compression?

Also - do I floor tiller and then sinew back it before final tiller?