Eastern Red Cedar?

[beetlebailey1977]

I have a good piece of eastern red cedar I cut and spilt about 2 years ago...It can from a interior part of the tree with no knots or limbs.  This will be my 1st attempt at this any suggestions?  I know this is not the best wood to start for the first time on.  Should I leave some sap wood on the back or go to heart wood.  Going to rough it down some with band saw before to long.  Thanks for any help.

[Pat B]

You can build good bows from only sapwood, a combo of sap and heartwood or heartwood(should be backed). The sapwood is good in tension so leave some on the back of your stave if the stave was handled properly from the time the tree was cut. Leaving 1/4" or a little less sapwood should work fine.
  For a stave rawhide is an excellent backing for ERC. If in board form use hickory.

[beetlebailey1977]

It is a stave.  I cut it, sealed the ends plus cut it long.  Then split it.  I did a little roughing to it and took off some of the bark but other than that it has sat and dried under my barn for 2 years.  Rawhide sounds like the way to go.