I just acquired this juniper and I’m wondering if it’s big enough to split again into two staves? This is the larger end I can provide any additional pics that may help. I don’t know much at all about building selfbows any advice is welcome.

where did you get it? How much twist is in the stave? Do you have access to a band saw? Are you certain it is not one of the cedars? Do you have access to quality sinew?

Limb wise I would think you could spit it. But, you may have to glue on additional depth to the handle...

Depends on what kind of bow you want to make. It actually looks to me like it's going to have some twist in it so you are going to have to allow for that.

That peice in the background is going to twist as it dries if you don't clamp it down also.

I got it at my job site in the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado. It does have some twist in it, I thought I might be able to work out with steam?? I do have a band saw. No I’m not sure that it’s not a cedar, although I understand the two are often confused. I don’t have any sinew right now but have buddies that are supposed to save me some if they kill late season elk. I do have some good rawhide. I understand the quality is important, the dimensions are for reference. I’m not sure what kind of bow I’m looking to make, any suggestions?

There is no Red Cedar in the SLV outside of the towns, so you can rest assured that it's Rocky Mountain Juniper if you got it there.

It came from Mtn Home Reservoir

I know the natives made shorter backed bows with it, I have as well. They are OK. More of a wall piece really. Still I think it really shines as a long bow or a flat bow(56 to 64)... the wood is very light once dried. I have found it nearly impossible to get a single stave long and straight enough however and have had to splice shorter staves. I have had some success steaming and bending it. But it is prone to pressure fractures. Also, I would plan on a sinew or rawhide backing from the start, even if just a super thin layer.

Best of luck.

I may save the best billets I can from it and season the rest to warm the hose. Thanks for all the reply's.

Juniper is a very under rated bow wood. Not only is it possibly the best North American wood to use in combination with a sinew backing, it also makes an outstanding American type longbow.

Juniper is a very resilient wood that will take a tremedous bend before it breaks if it is worked in a relatively consistent manner.

If I find relatively clear Juniper billets that are 30" or more long, I save very one of them. The width is what determines the type of bow they will be used for.

I cut a Juniper in Nevada a few years ago. It would have been easier to make a propeller for a WW1 aircraft than a bow.

O.K. Juniper is a good bow wood. How do you recognize it? How do you tell it from all the cedars? I may have a good supply or not. It does look like it will be hard to find long enough stock for one piece bows. I have made hiking sticks from it. >>>>-----> Ken

I am in Texas, we have lots of cedar, cedar fence post very common. There are cedar bushes and cedar trees. I do not know how to distinguish what a juniper is.

Without getting into latin names I'll say all ERC is juniper, but a different species than "western" juniper. I have not found properties to be any different between the two and I work with both, a lot. All ERC trees look like bushes to start, and will stay bushes, albeit big bushes, unless trimmed.

Here is some nice looking ERC

Purty esp. with a gloss overcoat.

They are all called Cedar around here. Soooo the ones with blue berries will make a bow? Most of them seem to have red berries. Thanks. >>>----> Ken

It's dark when I get home during the week. I'll post some pics. of Juniper this weekend when I'm off.

Pinion wood is more common in Colorado San louis Valleyou area than cedar . Is it juniper ?

Are you saying the pics I posted are pine?

How does fresh cut Juniper smell . Pinion sent is like cedar .

Agree with above regarding the smell, my garage smells like a cedar chest.

Agree with above regarding the smell, my garage smells like a cedar chest.

I was finally able to get out and take some pictures today of our Texas hill country Juniper.

Here is a picture of a standing tree showing the bark.

Here is a picture of what the berries look like. The berries are only on female tres.

Close up of the leaflets.

The berries for size.

These are 2 different Juniper bows in progress.

The one on the left will ga short West Coast type bow.

The one on the right a much longer narrow limbed flat bow.

This is one half of a set of sister billets that will be used to make a long, wide limbed flat bow.

Here is the narrow stave shown above setting next to a 64" D/R longbow I was shooting today to give you an idea of the length and width.

Theis is actually going to be a "sapling" bow as this was a small, fairly straight tree that I cut and started working on 3 or 4 years ago.

Thank you. Great pictures. I know I have see that where I hunt. Could you give a couple of clues what the Cedar looks like in comparison. I want to be sure not to cut the wrong wood for staves. >>>>-----> Ken

Nice looking bow on the right.I can see you have made some nice bows with that wood.You went from maple bows in Ohio to Juniper bows in Texas.Nice.

Thanks Bassman.

Ken, I don't have any Cedar around close to me. However, the next time I get around some I'll take some pictures. If you look at the limbs and the leaflets they are pretty eaasy to identify. There will be berries on the ground all year long, and when the berries are on the tree's there is no doubt what you're seeing.

Thanks.Don't go to any trouble. You have been a big help.>>>----> Ken

I always figured the natives put a bunch of senew on Juniper and Cedar for a good reason. Every so I ever built out of it blew up.

Sorry for the typos, I meant to say "sinew" and "Bow"

Some historic accounts claim that the Monache Indians of the California Sierra mountains built some of the best sinew backed juniper bows.

I haven't been able to dig up too much information on the Monache tribe. From what I gather they had fine bows, were referred to as a "mountain" Indians so they wouldn't be confused with the valley Indians, and they were somewhat feisty.

Oddly enough I've never had a Juniper bow blow up whether sinew backed or self bow. I have had some take a bad set, and have intentionally tillered Juniper bows and over drawn them to see what they would do. If you put sinew on one it is virtually unbreakable.

Found this you today, I think I’m gonna go back up and get it.

Just to answer some of the above questions: Pinon is a pine tree which bears its seeds in cones. Juniper (of which there are a number of species, e.g. Rocky Mountain, One Seed, Alligator) is not a pine and bears its seeds in what are called berries. The two woods do not smell the same.

We used to have a roadside inn called the Juniper in near here. Long gone now. Wish I had paid more attention to the wood presented there. Would have been a great education on Alberta juniper. To me juniper is a low bush. But I recall some large carved works displayed at the Juniper Inn.

DDave

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