Cherry bark ...leave on?( pic added)

[Dave Bowers]

Hiya fellas, I just acquired some seasoned cherry wood and yesterday I started ruffing a bow out. Any who the cherry bark looks so nice its almost a crime to take it off. So I was wondering if it could be left on?

Thanks in advance


Dave

[KellyG]

Give us pics! How can we help you make such a choice with out PICS!        :rolleyes:

[Pat B]

Is it black cherry you have? That is not the same type of cherry bark used for bow backings. Even if it is the correct cherry bark you want to add cherry bark to a bows back and not use the bark that is on the stave. If that bark does crack under tension it will crack down into the bow, ruining it.
 The cherry bark that works for bow backing grows around the trunk of the tree and is thin and very strong. Other cherry barks grow up and down the trunk like most other tree barks do and is thick and brittle.

[Dave Bowers]

Thanks for the info Pat. I'll get a pic up in a little bit; so you guys have more to go on.

Thanks

[Dave Bowers]

Hope this helps?

[Pat B]

Dave that is the right kind of bark. You can see how the grain goes around the trunk instead of lengthwise. The way you use cherry bark is to remove it from the trunk and cut or peel strips from around the circumferance. Even the bigger trees don't have long enough pieces so some splicing is necessary. You would only get 6" to 8" long strips from a tree that size.
 Because the strength runs around the tree, if you left the bark on that stave the bark might split across the limb which could be deadly for the bow.

[Dave Bowers]

Awesome thanks again Pat! I know where there are some larger cherry's that i can harvest some bark from. I think I might giving the backing idea a whirl.

[Pat B]

You will kill the tree by removing the bark. Try to find a dead tree. The bark should still be good. Like I said it is pretty tough stuff.

[DavidV]

Yeah, please don't cut the bark off of a perfectly good cherry tree, especially if it's large.

[Dave Bowers]

I am well aware of not removing the bark from a live tree, I shoulda stated its a dead tree.