Splicing Hickory pick handles for a bow

[scootsp1]

Hi all, I'm fairly new to bow making.I'm from Australia.
I've made one successful bamboo backed board which is a great shooter.
I'm finding it hard to track done quality bow woods.
I've been reading online about splicing hickory pick handles together to use as a stave.
Has anybody on here done it?
Has anyone made a bamboo backed bow out of pick handles?
Can they be steamed into a recurve?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
Cheers
James

[dmikeyj]

I am working on a hickory wheelbarrow handle bow, these handles are 60" long, so no need for splicing.  I have seen a thread or 2 either on here, or at PA where guys have done the deal with axe or pick handles.  I will try to find it again for ya.

Mike

[dmikeyj]

Ok, no luck on my search, I just keep finding mentions of doing it, no real detailed threads.  I do recall it being mentioned in the Bowyer's Bible, vol. 1.  Yup, page 91- but, it is just a picture of two handles with the w splices inked out on each limb.

Mike

[Eric Krewson]

The best way to lay out your splices is to draw them on a piece of paper, cut out your drawing and glue the pattern to the wood you want to splice, lining up your patterns with a centerline on your wood. This way you can have a perfect pattern on any shape wood.

I use this method when I have to replace a limb on a completed bow. In the picture below I drew a 7" pattern, cut it in half and glued each halve on the wood I wanted to splice. Be sure to mark the part you want to cut out, accidents happen.

 

[John Scifres]

There is an article in the Dec. 2011/Jan. 2012 Primitive Archer mag that is about making a pickaxe handle bow.  It's pretty interesting.  He uses a boxed joint pinned with a couple hardwood dowels.  Works for him.

[Walt Francis]

Mark Baker told me he made some bows using pick handles when he first started making selfbows.

[beetlebailey1977]

I have made one out of a wheel barrow handle and I just bought a pick axe handle today that I am going saw in half and splice back together to try for a bow.