Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Boro on November 06, 2008, 12:07:43 pm
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Hello good people,
I got some wood under the name hickory. It does not resemble to hickory to me so I must say - I don't know. Here are some pics of it and I would apricieate some help regarding this wood.
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB060039.jpg)
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB060036.jpg)
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB060037.jpg)
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB040034.jpg)
I also started a bow of it and made it to the short string. It is 68 ntn bent handle quite narrow (the stave didn't allow any wider) 7/8, with a twist in one limb and a knot in the other. Since it is not done yet I don't have a draw weight but I am hoping for at least 40@28. I could not brace it without a stringer so I think it will make 40 at the end. I allready have some string follow 1 1/2 (due to the narrowness IMO). All opinions are welcome.
Thanks
Boris
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Here's my take. It resembles in some ways hickory that I have worked with before, that had some sort of disease which turned the wood a different color and made it softer because it was essentially dead wood. The tree itself was still alive when I cut it, because it had green leaves. But the wood is not the same. It was softer, worked different, and was not quite as strong. This may be what you have.
Have you worked hickory before, so as to know what it should be like? Does this wood feel softer (can your fingernail put a significant groove in it)? If you scrape it, does it scrape very easily, losing larger flakes at a time?
~~Papa Matt
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Pappa Matt,
I haven't worked hickory before, this would be my first encounter with it. As for the fingernale test it does not leave any marks and i have a sharp hiss sound with a drawknife and slow progress with a rasp. Hard and heavy wood. Made a tillering tree out of it too.
I also have some tillering issues since it has twist in one limb and a knot in the other. What do You make of it?
thanks
Boris
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB030025.jpg)
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB030028.jpg)
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB040032.jpg)
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB030025.jpg)
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At first glance it looked like walnut to me. In any case, if it's hard and heavy it should make a good bow. If it's taking a lot of set, it may not be fully dry...and might be a reason for the heaviness of the wood.
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If the fingernail does not leave a mark, then from the looks of it and what you say, I believe it is hickory. Looks like some staves are of sapwood and others from heartwood, causing them to have different colors.
As for your tiller, you could take some twist out by steam bending, or perhaps by just using dry heat. I have always steamed hickory but I think some have said on here that you can use just dry heat. This would make your tillering easier. Just take it slow and only bend it just enough on your tiller tree to see what needs work and don't over stress the wood. Looks like your doing ok. The right limb seems fine so far, you just need to work on that left limb with the twist. I would probably try to steam the twist out. Let's see what some others have to say.
~~Papa Matt
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Of coarse all are welcome to say anything. I am a total novice and need as much feedback as possible.
Boris
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Could be a hickory heartwood board, cuz of the darker color. Not as good as hickory sapwood. I had a hickory heartwood board, which I cut into backing strips. Didn't work very well... had several failures.
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Pecan is a hickory. Maybe it is pecan or heartwood hickory. Pat
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Looks like Walnut to me.
David
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Got 2 hickory boards in the shed just like it....its heartwood( always make sure to order sapwood...DOH!) :-[....Brian
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Some of the hickories have dark heartwood like that, our mockernut hickory here is like that. The grain looks like hickory.
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Looks like hickory heart wood.. To me
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Well, even if it is not a sapling I won't burn it :P
I need a lots of practice. This will be good for practice.
So You ordered it also Brian? ;D
Thanks for looking and answering
Boris
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Ya, from a local sawmill...forgot to specify sapwood...got about 30-40 board feet..lol
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as far as the twist goes, leave it there,tiller around it accordinly
it adds a nice bit of character.that little bit of twist will be a nice learning experience and yet shouldnt be all that difficult to tiller with,jmho
peace,
tim
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Is that a board? It doesn't seem suitable for a bow so I would consider a backing of silk, burlap, linen. Even with that it looks questionable. There's board info on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/
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That wood is probably walnut, it looks semi-diffuse porous in the close-up, and it has the right color. HIckory is ring-porous. Not many North American woods are semi-diffuse porous, and that dark. The color of air-dried walnut can vary, and one of the pictures shows the classic "stripe" pattern of walnut, bands of slightly different colors, almost like zebra stripes. By the way Hickory is in the Walnut Family of tree species.
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i have an ipe board that looks like that...
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hmm... thats real dark, it might be a medetterain hickory, theres no way thats pignut hickory- i think george hit it on the head with the backing, its a natural bow so i'd go with a store bought burlap (my personal favorite) or if you have sinew or drill a decent sized game, perhaps use that ;D oh, one tough lesson i learned, kinda common sense though: if you have a little thought on recurving the bow, dont back it until after you recurve those tips- i f'ed up my first osage a week or two that way. good luck brother, so far that thing looks like a trophy to me, alot of charecter. as far as the tiller... dont ask me, thats a spot i need to work on ;D -jimmy
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Yep, it looks like Hickory heartwood to me.
Sean
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It is quite difficult to get good wood here. Hickory is not domestic here (Croatia, that's southeast Europe + Mediteran on the coast) so You can imagine what comes here as for imported wood.
George,
Should I back it becaouse it is kiln dried or becaouse the grain goes everywhere? I faithfully followed one ring for the back of the bow. Hence the twist.
Ballista,
I am not even a half way to tiller it and allready it took about 1 1/2 of set. So I think I will have to recurve the tips slightly. Thanks for the heads up. BTW no hunting with a bow here. Only 3d and stumping.
BTW
I am missing some english words, what exatly is burlap (linen and silk I know ;D)
Boris
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Boris, burlap is a coarse fabric usually woven from jute. It is commonly used here for storage bags for grain, potatoes, and such. (tow sacks).
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Definitely back it. Jawge
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i'd recurve the tips, its not too hard, boost the beauty of the bow, keeps the set down, and im sure it boosts the sped up a bit also. oh george, do you use stretch wrap on backings or another method? keep us posted boro, and good luck man- if it makes you feel anty better, i have my first osage bow, 3 cracks and recurved tips, the one i screwed up, missed a shot at a small squirrel :-\ good luck though man. -jimmy
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Thanks all, will get back with it. For the moment I am waiting for string materials that I ordered. Have only fast flight string, don't want to mess up the bow.
Boris
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Hello all, I'm back.
I played with it awhile and here is what came out:
Unbraced:
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB160118.jpg)
Braced:
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB160109.jpg)
Full draw:
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB160108.jpg)
(http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p391/primitivan/kroz%20drsku/PB160112.jpg)
And the stats are:
68 ntn
45 @ 28
after about 100 full draws and 60-70 arrows tiller (as it is :P) is unchanged and set is at 2 inches.
I would really apricieate Your reflection on the tiller before I silk back it, finish it, and seal it. The left/lower limb seems a bit stiff but I don't have a clear view what to do becaouse of the shape of the limb. While drawing the twist is straightening so I guess it is ok.
To resume, as it is my first working bow (so far) I am satisfied.
Thanks for looking
Boris
P.S.
Maybe I can change my signature now :D
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Boro- Great job with your bow!
I think the left/lower limb looks stiff in the picture where the bow is on the tillering stick. When you are holding the bow, the tiller looks better because of where you place your hand to hold it. But is that what you want? It looks like the upper limb is shorter than the lower limb when you are bracing the bow.
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nice! the left limb (lower) is a bit still from midlimb and out, so I would scrape some off there that the limbs would be balanced, but if it works good and you see no problems I would leave it as it is.
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Thanks ;D. I think it appears so becaouse I tilted the bow while holding it. And the shadows on the wall have their part in this optical phenomena. Anyway it was intended to be simetrical. The center is in the middle of the handle and arrow rest is 2 inches above. I know that with this design I must have lower limb a bit stiffer but it is confuzing me becaouse of its shape.
Boro
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You are very close anyway you look at it!! Like the finnish native said, a little more scraping and you will have it! You may lose a couple of pounds of draw weight, but still an excellent work ;D
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Thanks for the compliments, as they are also a part of satisfaction derived from this; especially when expirienced people say good words about novices efforts.
:D :D
Boris