Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Will Hickory make a good heavy bow
Ian.:
thanks for the feedback I do have belly woods but nothing that can take that weight sapele is the best ive got.
adb:
You will NOT get a 140# selfbow from hickory at 70"!!!! Not if you're drawing it past 24" or so. What draw length do you hope to achieve? When I think warbow, tillering full compass to 32" comes to mind. This requires special wood, and hickory self bows do not come to mind. 70" would be too short for almost any wood. Hickory would make an excellent backing wood, in combination with osage, ipe, jatoba, yew, and a few others. It would need to be at least 78" NTN for that kind of draw weight.
Hickory is tough stuff, but it does not excel in compression. Making a 70" bow, 1.5" at center, would result in unbelievable amounts of set, if you could get the wood to hold up in the first place! Hickory excels (in a selfbow format) with wide, flat limbs.
adb:
I mean no offense, but who will be shooting this bow? I believe there are only a limited handful of people in the world, who regularily shoot full draw bows in the 140# class. For that matter, there are also only a smaller handful of people making them.
Ian.:
--- Quote from: adb on October 29, 2009, 05:13:14 pm ---I mean no offense, but who will be shooting this bow? I believe there are only a limited handful of people in the world, who regularily shoot full draw bows in the 140# class. For that matter, there are also only a smaller handful of people making them.
--- End quote ---
I'll be shooting it, I have asked about heavy bow before the main thing that holds me back for pulling high draw weights is making bows heavy enough i don't know how the likes of bickerstaffe can make a heavy laminate I currently have a 130Lb bow that I bought, ill have a crack at a 1/2" backing of hickory on a sapele belly, but any suggestions who be greatly appreciated
Marc St Louis:
Jaroslav
Hickory is a better bow wood than White Ash and it seems to me that you have made some pretty heavy weight bows out of that. The only problem with Hickory is that it works better at a low MC.
For a 140# bow I would go with 1 1/2" wide and perhaps 74" long, that should be good for a 31" draw. You didn't specify if you wanted to make a traditional English warbow therefore I would suggest a shallow D section.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version