Hickory stave rough out

[Jamesh76]

It seems with the really low humidity in Winter, hickory may be something to try. Too dry of a wood is difficult to make a bow. Except for Hickory. It like a MC of about 6-8%. Most other woods need to be around 8-10% MC. With the unfortunate breaking of Greg and Jerry's bows I believe MC was just too low. Learn as we go I suppose. Looking back at the one I broke a few weeks ago I believe it was too dry also. To add moisture, you can insert a humidifier, place the bow near the shower etc. I don't know how long it takes to increase moisture. Up to this point, All I was thinking about was lowering moisture so my staves would dry out and I could use them. Little did I know. My house is usually around 68 Deg with 35% MC which over time will give me about 7% MC. Here is a chart you can reference http://leatherwall.bowsite.com/tf/lw/th ... CATEGORY=4

This little piece was thrown into the garage...... probably a year ago. Hickory is a white wood and you do not have to chase rings for a back. It is best cut in spring when the sap level is high. Once cut, you can usually just pull the bark off, scrape or sand off a thin layer of camium and there is your back as long as you do not cut into the back ring. So with my knowledge level when this was cut I did nick the back in a few spots. The best I can tell with this stave is it is about 6% with my prong reading moisture meter.

I roughed it out. 66" TTT, 4" handle which widens 1/4" in the center, 2" fades. There are some knots and rough areas. I figured what the heck, maybe it will make a bow, maybe not. So here is the beginning. Some of you have probably seen my posts about run ins with hickory. I have made 1 bow successfully which looked similar to a howard hill bow/profile, It was only 3/4" wide. I have broken 4 hickory boards and 1 hickory stave. My results with hickory are less than impressive for a bow wood everyone says is very forgiving. We will see. The top half of this has the cambium pretty much removed, Bottom is where the nick is and areas I need to inspect etc.

[Greg Felty]

I did find another red oak board. But I am going to wait awhile for the weather to warm and get the humidity back up in my work area.

[Greg Felty]

It seems with the really low humidity in Winter, hickory may be something to try. Too dry of a wood is difficult to make a bow. Except for Hickory. It like a MC of about 6-8%. Most other woods need to be around 8-10% MC. With the unfortunate breaking of Greg and Jerry's bows I believe MC was just too low. Learn as we go I suppose. Looking back at the one I broke a few weeks ago I believe it was too dry also. To add moisture, you can insert a humidifier, place the bow near the shower etc. I don't know how long it takes to increase moisture. Up to this point, All I was thinking about was lowering moisture so my staves would dry out and I could use them. Little did I know. My house is usually around 68 Deg with 35% MC which over time will give me about 7% MC. Here is a chart you can reference http://leatherwall.bowsite.com/tf/lw/th ... CATEGORY=4

This little piece was thrown into the garage...... probably a year ago. Hickory is a white wood and you do not have to chase rings for a back. It is best cut in spring when the sap level is high. Once cut, you can usually just pull the bark off, scrape or sand off a thin layer of camium and there is your back as long as you do not cut into the back ring. So with my knowledge level when this was cut I did nick the back in a few spots. The best I can tell with this stave is it is about 6% with my prong reading moisture meter.

I roughed it out. 66" TTT, 4" handle which widens 1/4" in the center, 2" fades. There are some knots and rough areas. I figured what the heck, maybe it will make a bow, maybe not. So here is the beginning. Some of you have probably seen my posts about run ins with hickory. I have made 1 bow successfully which looked similar to a howard hill bow/profile, It was only 3/4" wide. I have broken 4 hickory boards and 1 hickory stave. My results with hickory are less than impressive for a bow wood everyone says is very forgiving. We will see. The top half of this has the cambium pretty much removed, Bottom is where the nick is and areas I need to inspect etc.

Would you have to chase a ring on an ash stave?

[Jamesh76]

I don't recall what the back of them staves looked like. Ash is typically considered a white wood. White woods don't necessarily need a chased ring. Typically, they are harvest in the spring or summer and bark pulls off. What's left under is the bow's back. If the bark was not removed and it was left on. You may be able to remove it and have a unviolated back. Or you may have to chase a ring. Borers will be another consideration if sapwood was left on and there were bugs, you have to chase a ring below them. Another option is to flatten/decrown and back with 1/8" hickory or bamboo.

Here's a few topics.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/inde ... ic=54950.0
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/inde ... ic=47811.0
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/inde ... pic=2889.0
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/inde ... ic=34469.0

[White Falcon]

Nice.

[Captainkirk]

Looks great! How many self-bows have you built now?

[Jamesh76]

Self bows as in wood stave bows- 3 Self bows as in 1 piece of board 13?

[jaydee2trad]

cut a 10' 3" hickory log today, then cut it into two logs. Beckum outdoors claimed that winter time is good time for hickory, so we shall see. will debark them and split them later this week or next. plan to rough shape them with a hatchet and let them dry for a while before using fire heat to dry more. all a learning thing for me.

[jaydee2trad]

Forgot, good luck on the hickory James

[Jamesh76]

Jerry you need to debarak and seal them asap. Not a high sap level in the winter. Not much risk of bugs right now but as it dries the wood will tighten up. Remeber back is under bark. Scrape or sand off some cambium.