trouble with steamed hickory

[Living_waters]

I got a log from one of out local saw mills, it was a shag bark in early bark about 10 inches around. split it into staves and it has been drying for about 3 months, roughed out some pyramid bows and brought them in and set them where the heat register could blow on them for a couple weeks. Moisture was about right, so I started with one that had some twist to it. Got it to floor tiller and steamed it to remove some of the twist. At about brace the twist came back, so I steamed it again and this time put it on my form and gave the tips a little reflex to help hold off the twist.

Let it rehydrate for a week and began working it again, tips and twist are not pulling out, but at 15 inches I am getting some ticking, cant find any cracks or lifting but something is going on. bad thing is I am only at 30lbs. 66" NTN 2inch wide at fades, 9/16 at tips, 7 inch handle and about 7/16 uniform thickness.

I just don't get it, no violation on back. And the belly shows almost a perfect hint of an early growth ring running from fade to tip on both limbs. This thing ought to pull 70lbs easy with out a worry.

Did the steaming weaken the wood? Or could it be the young growth shag bark, never used it before I am at a loss here, never had this much time in one and be contemplating that it may not make a bow. anyone else have any suggestions?

[Pat B]

It could be you got your stave from the saw mill. They don't store wood properly for bowyers. Especially with whitewoods it doesn't take long for fungi to set in.

[Living_waters]

I considered that, but they were cutting all the hickory out of a patch and this log came off of the truck maybe a day before I picked it up. The ends were still pasty white. The mill was close to being out of logs they were sawing it as fast as they were cutting it, that should have not been an issue.

[Art B]

Perhaps check for other sources of ticking besides the bow itself. Like string loops jumping their grooves due to some limb twist and the tillering tree if you're using one.......Art

[bigcountry]

Originally posted by Art B:
Perhaps check for other sources of ticking besides the bow itself. Like string loops jumping their grooves due to some limb twist and the tillering tree if you're using one.......Art

This problem got me.

[Living_waters]

I have went from my tiller string to a regular b50 Flemish string, dressed the string grooves. I have a pulley system over my work bench but I have to use another tiller tree to check draw weight(good ol bathroom scales) it has done it on both. Don't mean to shoot every one down, like I said this thing has got me and I have spent some time on it.
bow begins stacking really quick, you know that feeling that it just reached its limit.

[Pat B]

If there is a hairline crack that you can't see rub the bow with finely ground charcoal. The dust will ge in any cracks and help it show up.

[Living_waters]

Yep found it, broke straight across the back. Stave had a couple pin knots but they all looked good, Right at the bottom where the grain comes back together around one of these knots a straight break. This is the area that was steamed. First piece of hickory I have had break on its back under such a light load.
What is crazy I continued the tiller and had it to 24 inches. Using the gizmo it showed tiller to be spot on even with break of course it may have been at 35lbs, never made another noise just noticed the sanding dust revealed the break while drawn.
Now I am gun shy, I am looking at three roughed out bows drying and one floor tillered. I will try to get a picture this afternoon.

[Pat B]

That tells me that the hickory sat around longer than they told you it did and got infected by a fungi. The only time I ever saw a hickory back break like that was from rotten hickory. Hickory will usually bend almost double before it will break.
 We have lots of sawmills around here but I would rather cut my own trees for bow wood than get it from a saw mill.

[Art B]

If you don't cut and process the hickory wood/backing yourself then always do a bend/break test on some scrap. Like Pat mentioned, good hickory will take a great bend, where as the bad stuff will break clean.

Last two hickory backings I ordered, if I hadn't done some testing, would have produced a couple broken bows......Art

[Living_waters]

I wouldn't have thought it could have been cut more than a couple of days. But that may have been it. I have one floor tillered guess we can pull it tomorrow and see what happens. If it does it too then I will make fire wood out of all of it, was going to saw some backings out of it since I was out, but may have to buy some now.

[Living_waters]

Ok all 15 staves and 3 roughed out bows are loaded in the back of my truck ready for the burn pile. Started tillering the floor tillered stave, paying extra attention to make sure it stayed spot on. Made 28" at 48#, more than enough for my 26 1/2 draw. Shooting it in I was thinking Wow what a sweet shooting bow, fast, smooth draw. then on shot number 78 POW at full draw, no warning nothing. Did notice that right under the back in the first early wood was like sand. Anyway here it is.
   

[vanillabear?]

[Art B]

Sorry to hear that about your bow and staves. Man, I hate that for you!

But for those reading this, take my advice and always do a bend/break test from some scrap before using any type hickory for bows or backing. It's one wood that very prone to quick decay.......Art

[Living_waters]

Lesson learned Art Thanks.
Man I have picked up a truck load of white and red oak and never had a problem. When the guy that owns the mill told me he was cutting a big patch of all hickory, I thought it could not get any better.......Now I will cut my own.