Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: shackleton on March 02, 2018, 03:33:09 pm

Title: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: shackleton on March 02, 2018, 03:33:09 pm

How is hickory to work with?
Scott

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on March 02, 2018, 04:03:57 pm

I love hickory. Take off the bark and make a bow. Jawge

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: Danzn Bar on March 02, 2018, 04:08:14 pm

+1 what Jawge says............
DBar

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: bushboy on March 02, 2018, 05:16:25 pm

Stave or board?

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: shackleton on March 02, 2018, 05:17:50 pm

Not sure of stave or board...haven't decided.

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: osage outlaw on March 02, 2018, 05:22:39 pm

Hickory likes to be very dry.  Keep that in mind when you build your bow.

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: Danzn Bar on March 02, 2018, 05:25:30 pm

+1 what OO said and ...I personally like staves only because I have access to staves. And it gives good experience for other woods that you cant regularly find in boards.
DBar

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: ksnow on March 02, 2018, 05:32:53 pm

I'm with all of the above. Hickory is nice to work. Careful with a drawknife or spokeshave, the grain is somewhat interlocking and can tear out. Keep the stave dry as you work it. Also, heat treating will only help hickory. Have fun.

Kyle

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: Danzn Bar on March 02, 2018, 05:46:35 pm

good point Kyle.....keep your stave dry while your working it.  I use a 6 ft long piece of aluminum dryer vent hose and hang it from the floor joist or rafters. and put a 60 watt light blub on the floor in the hose.  I put the stave or bow in the hose between sessions working on it. works real good and is a cheap and easy dry box.
DBar

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: High-Desert on March 02, 2018, 06:21:36 pm

Hickory is one of my favorites to work. If you go with a board, I think it's the only way to go. It's easy to work, it's forgiving. Like everyone else said, Get it dry and keep it that way.

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: shackleton on March 02, 2018, 06:46:53 pm

Thanks guys.

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: Springbuck on March 02, 2018, 09:50:37 pm

Hickory doesn't grow where I live, unfortunately, but I'd basically take all of it I can get.  It worksvery nicely with all kinds of tools and makes a great bow.

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: RatherBinTheWoods on March 03, 2018, 06:39:44 am

Hickory makes great bows. Agree with all that’s been said already. Needs to be dry. You can make really thin elegant bows of a good draw weight still with Hickory. I have acces to boards and use many with the rings running back to belly ie. quarter sawn

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: Eric Krewson on March 03, 2018, 07:47:14 am

I don't really like hickory except for my students first bow for which it is wonderful,  it is hard to goof up a hickory bow.

Performance wise it comes up short compared to osage for me because the average wood M/C where I live is 12%, this makes for a sluggish hickory bow.

On the plus side; it is easy to get, cut it in the spring and summer and the bark pulls right off establishing the bows back and it will make an OK bow.

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on March 03, 2018, 08:00:36 am

I prefer hickory staves. If you want to start with a board then try red oak. More on my site. Jawge
http://traditionalarchery101.com

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: gutpile on March 08, 2018, 08:18:23 am

if your out west go for it..if south they are finicky with humidity.. I put mine in climate control for about 3 months after roughed out... and bring back in after every session..treat like that and seal immediately after finishing and it will make one helluva bow..

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: Greenriverwoodcraft on March 08, 2018, 05:07:50 pm

Hickory is amazingly forgiving compared to most other white woods.  Its not horrible to work wither.  Good luck

Title: Re: Hickory wood for 1st bow
Post by: BowEd on March 09, 2018, 08:02:07 am

I'm sure we would all be astounded by the numbers of bows made from hickory.Good all around bow wood.Good for backings and arrows too.I like staves with the bark pulled during the sap flow.