Bamboo backed hickory?

[Thomas Pierce]

Hey everyone, this is my first post to the forums but I've been using them as a resource for a while! I've completed two red oak longbows for me and my lady and I'm looking for my next fix, but I need some help.

I've got a hickory board that I could easily pull five bows out of and some bamboo planks from Frank's-is this a good combination for a simple longbow? I feel like I've been reading it's too strong. I'd be shooting for a 68" bow for ~35# @28"

I'd make a R/D but I'd like to get acclimated with the bamboo backing before I introduce more factors to botch. I'm really just unsure of where to start on this one..  

[LittleBen]

Yes, bamboo backed hickory will work. You can help prevent fretting of the hickory by keeping the bow fairly wide and by trapping the back. \\\\

Where in VA are you?

[Eric Krewson]

OK, here goes, just the facts as I have made a bunch of bamboo backed hickory bows.

Make them the same size as you would make an bamboo backed osage. I like 1 1/4 wide, glue in a couple of inches of reflex and no need to trap the limbs. You will only get frets if you do a bad tillering job and hinge a limb, hickory is tough stuff.

Be sure to thin your bamboo to a 1/16" edge tip to tip.

[LittleBen]

Eric do you typiocally heat temper hickory? or other woods?

I've been keeping my hickory bows a bit wider than that typically, and even with heat tempering seem tog et a fair amount of set ... although no fretting. I'd assume my tilelring (read: impatience)is to blame. JUst curious if you're taking any other steps to mitigate set.

[Thomas Pierce]

Thanks for the responses guys. Do either of you have experience going really thin with the hickory? I'm curious to see what I could get away with..

Edit: I'm in Richmond, by the way

[Roy from Pa]

3/8th thick will get you 35 pounds..

[Eric Krewson]

Ben, I have done several rebuilds of badly tillered solid hickory bows with tons of set. I backed them with bamboo, glued in the reflex and didn't heat the bellies. I ended up with slight reflex, straight limbs or an inch or so of set in my finished bows.

It has been my experience that gentle heating does little for hickory and I didn't want to char the bellies of the bows I fixed as they belonged to other people.