Hickory bow ?

[chickenhawk]

When making a hickory bow when do youcut the tree down? Is a certain season better than others? Do you have to let it dry out for a while before splitting and making stave? Any help is appreciated

 

[JBranch]

You may get a better response from the traditional archery forum or primitive skills.

 

[Kawaliga]

Cut it in the summer, seal the ends with elmers glue, split it into staves; then get the bark off the staves. Let it dry until the moisture content is about 7%, then go to work with a drawknife and a wood rasp.

 

[chickenhawk]

Thanks!! Thats what i needed to know.

 

[chadf]

Think I'm gonna try this also.
Thanks

 

[NCHillbilly]

Late summer is the ideal time, after it has put on a good layer of latewood on this year's growth ring. Winter-cut hickory is fine, but it's a pain to get the bark off without damaging that first growth ring. Get the bark off quick, or the bugs will eat your staves up, I've learned that the hard way, and seal the ends real quick. Hickory makes a good bow, but the main problem with it here in the humid southeast is getting an keeping the moisture content low enough in it. It soaks up moisture like a sponge, even when sealed. If the MC is too high when you're tillering it, you'll wind up with a sluggish bow with 3" of string follow.

 

[chickenhawk]

Thanks for the info. Can you explain what you mean when you say seal it? Talkin bout the ends?

 

[NCHillbilly]

Yes, and the back in some cases. Green wood will split and check very quickly, to the point of ruining the stave sometimes, and it starts at the ends where the moisture is escaping too quickly. You can avoid most of it by coating the cut ends of the stave with cheap wood glue or spray shellac. It needs to be done very soon after cutting the stave, especially with wood cut in the summer. With some woods like locust that are even worse to check, I'll coat the whole back of the stave after removing the bark and sapwood, too.

 

[chickenhawk]

Much appreciated info !! Thanks!

 

[GA native]

Late summer is the ideal time, after it has put on a good layer of latewood on this year's growth ring. Winter-cut hickory is fine, but it's a pain to get the bark off without damaging that first growth ring. Get the bark off quick, or the bugs will eat your staves up, I've learned that the hard way, and seal the ends real quick. Hickory makes a good bow, but the main problem with it here in the humid southeast is getting an keeping the moisture content low enough in it. It soaks up moisture like a sponge, even when sealed. If the MC is too high when you're tillering it, you'll wind up with a sluggish bow with 3" of string follow.

I've carved out a few walking staves, and shillelaghs over the years. I've found that wood harvested in the winter, doesn't check or split as bad.

Is it just a matter of stripping the bark?

 

[NCHillbilly]

I've carved out a few walking staves, and shillelaghs over the years. I've found that wood harvested in the winter, doesn't check or split as bad.

Is it just a matter of stripping the bark?

Yes, plus it's easier to dry it quicker in the summer. Winter-cut hickory can be really tough to get the bark off of. With a whitewood selfbow, you use the first growth ring under the cambium as the back of the bow, and if you nick it deep or cut through it trying to get the bark off, you'll have to chase it down to the next growth ring.