« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Red Cedar Selfbow?  (Read 1082 times)

Offline D.A. Davis

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 343
Red Cedar Selfbow?
« 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?
Logged
Genesis 21:20 - "And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer"

Offline Dano

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 2660
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #1 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.
Logged
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy" Red Green

Offline mike mcguire

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 48
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2009, 10:14:00 PM »
red cedar can be a heart breaker,low poundage, extra long, and hold your breath
Logged
if you can shoot over them, they ain't to far

Offline Mounter

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 53
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #3 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!!!
Logged

Offline Roy Steele

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 1087
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #4 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.
Logged
DEAD IS DEAD NO MATTER HOW FAST YOUR ARROW GETS THERE
 20 YEARS LEARNING 20 YEARS DOING  20 YEARS TEACHING
  CROOKETARROW

Offline Walt Francis

  • Administrator
  • Trad Bowhunter
  • ****
  • Posts: 3106
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #5 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.
Logged
The broadhead used, regardless of how sharp, is nowhere as important as being able to place it in the correct spot.

Walt Francis

Regular Member of the Professional Bowhunters Society

Offline Fletcher

  • TG HALL OF FAME
  • Trad Bowhunter
  • *****
  • Posts: 4523
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2009, 05:06:00 PM »
It makes GREAT lams for a glass longbow.
Logged
Good judgement comes from experience.  Experience comes from bad judgement.

"The next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing."

"An archer doesn't have to be a bowhunter, but a bowhunter should be an archer."

Offline Aram

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 480
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #7 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.
Logged

Offline loyd

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 243
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #8 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
Logged

Offline shamus

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 354
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2009, 11:11:00 AM »
for a selfbow: back it, and tiller real careful as cedar can fret.
Logged

Offline UnderControl16

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 297
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #10 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....
Logged

Offline KENDALL TECHAU

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 215
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #11 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.
Logged

Offline Walt Francis

  • Administrator
  • Trad Bowhunter
  • ****
  • Posts: 3106
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #12 on: May 03, 2009, 10:58:00 PM »
Aram,
Both bows were made with eastern red cedar that I got at MoJam in 2001.
Logged
The broadhead used, regardless of how sharp, is nowhere as important as being able to place it in the correct spot.

Walt Francis

Regular Member of the Professional Bowhunters Society

Online Pat B

  • TG HALL OF FAME
  • Trad Bowhunter
  • *****
  • Posts: 15027
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #13 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.
Logged
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!
TGMM Family of the Bow

Offline va

  • Trad Bowhunter
  • **
  • Posts: 194
Re: Red Cedar Selfbow?
« Reply #14 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?
Logged
Poor folk with poor ways, but rich just the same.
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »

Users currently browsing this topic:

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.
 

Contact Us | Trad Gang.com © | User Agreement

Copyright 2003 thru 2024 ~ Trad Gang.com ©