Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DevilPig13 on April 28, 2014, 03:13:06 pm
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I'm building my first bow out of a hickory stave that i got on eBay. any tips for working with hickory?
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long, wide and temper the belly. ;)
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First thing I'd do with hickory is check the moisture content. It likes to hang on to the wet stuff.
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After removing any bark you can use the first sap wood ring as your back. Easy peasy! 2'' wide out of the fades would work nicely. good luck!
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If you dont know when it was cut its a good idea to weigh it say every other day for a while.
If it loses weight just continue to weigh it until it stops...then make bow out of it ;)
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Wide and temper? i'm brand new to building bows, sorry.
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I think Pat meant 'wide'. Temper is to toast or heat the belly until it turns slightly brown in order to strengthen the belly in compression. Toast it slow, 20-30 minutes per limbs.
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do you temper it after you tiller?
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Buy or borrow the first volume of the book The Traditional Bowyer's Bible and read it entirely. Everything will be crystal clear after that. The unorganized and overwhelming nature of a discussion board like Primitive Archer is not the best place to do the very first research. It is best used for specific questions.
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Is there anybody around Central Ky, interested in mentoring a beginning bow maker?
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Temper it after floor tiller stage, before you get it bending too much. Its the bending stresses that can cause set.
If you can get down to the Clarkesville Tenn. area this weekend join us at the Tenn. Classic. There will be lots of us bow builders there to help you through the process.
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Can I temper the belly of a sinew backed hickory bow ?
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do you temper it after you tiller?
If you've never tempered a bow before and have nobody to walk you through it I wouldn't advise doing it. You can burnish it and get almost the same results with hickory.Can I temper the belly of a sinew backed hickory bow ?
No, not after you put the sinew on.
Hickory is a moisture sponge. If you work on it outside I would bring it inside if you have AC going, put it in the attic, or inside a car or truck with the windows rolled up till you are ready to work on it some more. When you get it finished seal it real good.
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Thanks!
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Any chance you can sneak away this weekend and drive up to Clarksville, Tennessee? About 400+ crazed maniacs running around with sharp objects and dull minds making dangerous projectile weapons out of innocent trees. It's called the Tennessee Classic! Bring your tools and your wood, they'll send you home with a bow and a bad addiction!
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Goto the "how to" section and read through some of the build alongs. Very good stuff.
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Welcome to PA,
The bowyers bible series is a must have. I have read, and reread all of them many times and as soon as I am done with one I open the next. Hickory is a great first wood, very forgiving and very malleable. heat tempering, or dry "cooking" the belly side is a very good idea, and really adds to the power of hickory. best of luck to you and hope to see a bow post from you soon!