Author Topic: Hickory heartwood selfbow??? (Read 1140 times)

Bowjunkie · « **on:** February 21, 2016, 03:26:00 PM »

Has anyone made selfbows with hickory heartwood?

Yesterday I split a short hickory log and ended up with several belly split billets that are all heartwood. Today I quickly got them to within a growth ring or three and sealed the backs with shellac. They have thin rings, about 1/16" thick.

Anybody have experience with them? All of the hickory selfbows I've made were all sapwood in the limbs.

Roy from Pa · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2016, 05:56:00 PM »

Sure would be pretty..

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2016, 07:49:00 PM »

Ye ol' triple split.

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2016, 07:51:00 PM »

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2016, 07:54:00 PM »

Roy from Pa · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2016, 08:25:00 PM »

Neat...

Pat B · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2016, 10:47:00 PM »

Hickory heartwood is more brittle than the sapwood but I've never built a selfbow with hickory heartwood. I assume with a clean back and good tiller there shouldn't be a problem.

Jomohr84 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2016, 11:16:00 PM »

The heartwood sure has a nice color, but I have never tried using it, would make a beautiful bow though

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2016, 05:47:00 AM »

That's what I've heard as well, Pat. I'll give it a try. If it breaks, I'll switch gears.

Now I'm wishing I would have tried to leave a couple sapwood rings on there. That would have looked nice, a couple sapwood rings and the rest heartwood. It would have looked a little like a yew stave. Especially with these thin rings. Oh well. Too late now.

If the heartwood doesn't work out for selfbows, I could always flatten them and back them with hickory or hard maple.

Pat B · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2016, 07:48:00 AM »

Hickory or maple would be good backing options.

PEARL DRUMS · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2016, 07:52:00 AM »

I have, Jeff. It was from a board. To the best of my knowledge it still together. My kid shot it for a year or so, then gave it to a friend. It was very light in physical weight.

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2016, 08:18:00 AM »

Good. That's encouraging.

Buemaker · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2016, 05:43:00 PM »

I have made some from boards and could not see any difference from sapwood hickory. I have also made selfbows that were about half sapwood and half heartwood with the borderline going diagonally through the stave. These Hickory boards were imported here 1960-1970 and were used in ski production. I'm posting a link to a trilam with a thin tapered Hickory heartwood backing.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=013196

Jomohr84 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2016, 06:23:00 PM »

That is a one dang fine bow Buemaker! Outstanding!

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2016, 03:55:00 AM »

Nice one Bue. That hickory heartwood seems to be handling the tension. How many arrows through it so far?

Buemaker · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2016, 04:55:00 AM »

Couple of hundreds I guess, winter now so not much shooting outdoors and during tillering on the tree at least that amount ( I never keep count) I do not know which species of Hickory was imported all those years ago,but it is some heavy hard stuff.

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2016, 05:25:00 AM »

Very good. Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.

LittleBen · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2016, 08:53:00 PM »

I've backed with hickory heartwood with no problems as well.

I weight sample of heartwood and sapwood hickory from the same board and the heartwood was like ..85SG the sapwood was much lighter like .70SG.

II've neve made a heartwood selfbow, but I wouldn't hesitate either. I bet you can go a bit more narrow than a sapwood bow.

Bowjunkie · « **Reply #18 on:** February 24, 2016, 05:41:00 AM »

That would be a bonus since I prefer narrower bows.

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Author Topic: Hickory heartwood selfbow??? (Read 1140 times)

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