Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: BowEd on April 19, 2020, 07:17:36 am
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Some time ago I made this black cherry bow.At that time it pulled 53#'s @ 28".I left about a 1/8" sapwood on it and sinewed it.No dry heat treating involved on this one as black cherry does'nt respond too well with that.Steam bending yes.After shooting it for 8 months or so with my buddies and at home I thought it showed a fine chrysall on the belly by the top fade.I had finished it with a conversion type quick drying varnish [pre catalyzed magna lac] that if put on too thick will chrysall.I've seen this before with no actual chrysalls in the wood.This finish is normally quite a bit harder than any poly or spar varnish also.It can be seen on arrow shafts too occasionally that have had too thick of fast drying gasket lacquer [a hard brittle finish] put on them.
This black cherry wood is a pretty wood and I know this bow had thousands of arrows through it so I sanded the finish away and the chrysalls were gone so I retillered it down to 48#'s @ 28" as it still is 1 of my favorites and refinished it with spar varnish.64" TTT.It shoots very well.If chrysalls do reappear I think I'll just keep shooting it anyway.Rests with 3.5" reflex.After unbracing from 3 hour shooting it shows a scooch under 3" reflex.Around a 7" bracing height to the back while shooting.
Some copperheads,camel colored hair silk wrappings,cow horn overlays,latigo leather wrap on handle,and antler arrow pass.
We still have some snow hanging around from the latest 14" the last 2 days.Bow shown against another black cherry tree around a foot thick that's bow worthy.I've seen these black cherry trees farther up north where we 3D shoot occasionally 50 to 60 feet tall and 2.5' thick.Around here on my property I hav'nt,but have seen them on the Amish's log pile that size to be milled.Most around here are'nt that large.
If a person has a very large one that's veneer quality it can be worth thousands of dollars.They grow pretty slow though.Like about 50 or 60 years to get a 2.5' diameter trunk.
A bow worthy black cherry center of picture.
(https://i.imgur.com/M8incC2.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xoYDX4U.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/sEzhmVq.jpg)
A different black cherry tree not so bow worthy
(https://i.imgur.com/bFm0xBo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/uxwoUY4.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/miu70FM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/knDqvqk.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/lQnsfba.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qlhAQUs.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6DTRWHS.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/T2TS2Ok.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/bGvg1rZ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/BnHhkTE.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/WfDPxhk.jpg)
Currently am tillering another sinewed black cherry done in the past.I use the old peg board on these.The portable one I put into the house.Tillering it with a cabinet scraper and 80 grit sand paper.I sinewed this one up while I was shooting the other one so I might as well tiller this one now too.
(https://i.imgur.com/YtAlQko.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/wAh4I71.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pvs4Cdp.jpg)
At rest the tips are not in line at all with opposing propellers from curing of the sinew but when put to brace height the tips are in line.Seen this happen before with no problems down the road.A reflexed bow's tips do not need to be perfectly in line at rest to still hold a string at brace and shoot well.I won't do any type heat corrections to it yet.I will see how it all turns out.
(https://i.imgur.com/TeKU8Us.jpg)
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Sweet looking bow Ed. I wouldn't mind trying a piece of that sometime. I'll have to watch for one to get taken out by a storm.
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Very nice all around. Those skins look good against that dark wood.
Mike
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Beautiful bow, Ed. Don't see many black cherry bows especially ones that nice. Great job.
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Beautiful bow, Ed, both in appearance and in function. I would think black cherry would be a good candidate for sinew backing.
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Real nice! Have to put CB on the list to try (find!). Not much of it out here.
Hawkdancer
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it is a pretty wood. I have a few very nice ones on my farm. I did sell one for veneer a few years ago. I didn't do nearly that good though. the buyer was looking mostly for hard maple and very good quality logs. if I remember correctly I sold 3 maples.1 cherry and 12 black walnut for $4,000. honestly I wish I had the trees back, but I really needed the money. of coarse the money like the trees is long gone.
ive never tried making a bow from one but I suspect Pat is right. the sinew probably is a good fit
bjrogg
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Thanks fellas....There's a reason not too many black cherry bows are on here.The stuff can be a heart breaker.It'll test your tillering skills.
I've mumbled it's only good for furniture before....Ha Ha.It does'nt like extreme designs,but made in moderation it is a lot more conducive.Either way made either rawhide or sinew is a good choice of backing on it.Maybe even flax fibers too of angel hair or some type of ply linen string but that type backing will take a set and contribute nothing to sustaining reflex.Enough flax backing will contribute to more draw weight poundage though.
I think I've seen bendy handled ones with no backing though.I always leave a little sapwood on it yet mostly because the contrast in color is nice like walnut.It does'nt need to be as wide as walnut though for a hunting weight bow.To me it's a sweet shooting type wood.In times past I've seen choke cherry bows shown but not for quite a while now.Not the same type cherry though.
I had the local forester who's honest and has nothing to gain in my area walk through my property long ago once looking at all the walnuts and oaks.He said you got at least $5000.00 worth here of big logs if you want to cut them down.I've seen the mess that's left when neighbors have done it.I told him no I don't think so and I hav'nt.Loggers are shysters just as much as fur buyers are.A veneer log is a different story though.Less mess and more dollars per board foot.To buy them I would look for a specialty buyer.Not the regular pallet wood buyers in my area of logs.
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I really hated to sell any but I have so many dead ash trees falling down and knocking them down. Several already had trees leaning against them. I left several standing that he wanted to take.
Bjrogg
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That’s a beautiful bow Ed. I love the dark color and the copperhead skins. Thanks for sharing. Always like seeing your work here
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Beautiful bow and great save.
Pappy
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Incredible cherry bow! I’m glad you posted this, I have been debating making a cherry longbow and your experiences have showed me that it can be worthwhile. Very nice 👍🏻
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another awesome bow Ed... and that room with all of the cool things that you have made including the bed and the peg board...cool stuff. I have lots of big black cherry trees but the only buyers here are sawlogs and pulpwood. I've never tried it since I have osage, hickory, and hackberry. Your bow looks like it'll hunt. :OK
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Super nice bow out of a not that common wood. The comby with sinew is a good idea with the compression strength of black cherry.
I like how she shows her muscels in the unbraced profile.
The pics are nice too, congrats for such a beauty!
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Beautiful job on that bow Ed.
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Now that is some superb craftsmanship!
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Very nice Ed.
You emailed me with questions about a sinew backed Cherry several years ago. Was it about this bow? I warned you at the time that it would likely chrysal even with sinew. You came back a few months latter saying it had started to chrysal
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Thanks fellas.I appreciate the comments from you all.
Yes.Same bow Marc.I remember that too.Time does fly by....Ha Ha.Around 8 months or a full spring/summer later of shooting it.Shot quite a few arrows through that bow.As in the opening description I sanded the hard finish away and they disappeared.Refinished it with more elastic spar varnish.I've shot it a bunch again and don't see them back yet.They might return.I've decided to just keep shooting it if they do.
The next one will be a test also.
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That does have a great look. Nice work, Ed. Your room there looks like a fun place to relax!
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Thanks Parnell.....It's my quiet place and kind of my supply room for finishing bows.Overlays,leather,handle wraps,cordage,finish,different glues etc.The big stuff like staves and forms are out in the tractor shed.
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My first 3 bows I made were cherry. The last survived and still shoots. Really want to have a nice cherry wood again, as my harvests of cherry didn't give me nice staves.
Your bow looks perfect. Unbraced,braced,fd looking excellent!
So glad you share your craftsmanship with us!
Did you taper the sides slightly like a pyramid bow or do they run parallel the first inches?
Is this the original color of the wood or is it stained darker?
Did you change any design parameters for the new one?
Thanks!
B2W
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backtowood B2W......Good to hear from someone else about black cherry.Show a picture of it.This one is kind of in between width taper wise.The one posted starts out 1 and 9/16" at fades.Midlimb is 1 and 1/2".Then about 1" wide ten inches from tip.To 1/2" wide tips thickened along the way for 8" or 9" levers.64" TTT bow.
Prospect starts out wider.A scooch over 1 and 3/4" at fade.1 and 5/8" wide midlimb.To 5/8" wide 6" from tip to 1/2" wide tip.Thickened the last 6".60" TTT.
Overall on both I tried to give them a good 18" - 20" of working limb a piece.
The bow is natural color.No stain.The wood ages color wise nicely.Sapwood darkened a bit over time for some reason.
A recipe for first time success with this wood I would say is to give it plenty of working limb in a non stressful design.A little reflex is OK.
I have 1 more long stave of it dry.Plenty wide.Lop sided thickness of sapwood on that one though.A bit of cambium left on.
(https://i.imgur.com/05HXOFb.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/rbGsjVo.jpg)
If I remember right I did not split that log with wedges as it does'nt split well.I cut it with a band saw and a 3/4" wide 3 tpi blade.I don't know if it will hurt to reduce thickness of sapwood or not from being lop sided sapwood.Maybe you have some experience with that.The rings on it are'nt that fine.It's more difficult stuff to chase a ring on.Think it's diffuse pourus.I'd back it with sinew regardless then.
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Beautiful bow....
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Absolutely beautiful.
T
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Thanks fellas....Made some progress with the prospect bow.It's still alive.
We finally got a nice stretch of dry warmer weather here.Lots of spring work to do around here with the garden/lawn/and pasture.
Gotta start cutting & splitting more firewood too along with any other fix it jobs that come along.Which I can figure it happening.I usually get after that full time till I'm done.
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What a stunner. Really classic style. Great job!
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Thanks Ryan.
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beautiful. congrats,, :)
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Thanks Brad.
I'm still shooting it and chrysalls have not returned yet.Knowing the insidious nature of chrysalls though that being the damage can be deeper than one can see only time will tell.
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Its great to see black cherry being put to use as a bow wood. Great job.