Newbie question about hickory board

[kenboonejr]

So I built one long bow so far out of a red oak board.  I tried the quick sander method - before I remembered the rule about width vs thickness and the impact it has.  Anyway I ended up with a board for my daughter to shoot.  I was well under the 45# I was shooting for.  Anyway it was a good learning experience.  I have two more blanks that I am currently working on using the same method, except I'm not using the the sander and am using the tillering gizmo I saw on here and using the sure form to remove wood instead of the sander.

Anyway, I want to start on a hickory pyramid bow based on the build along I saw on here by Curt Isaacson.  Anyway, I finally found a lumber distributor here in town and went down and picked up a hickory board which I think will work for at least one bow.

I have some pics here and I wanted to get some input before I get started.  The pics show the edge, the face and the end grain for the piece of hickory I cut to 68".

With this grain I am assuming that the best piece of this bow is between 2.5 and 4.5 inches if I were to make a pyramid bow with really any width, 2.5, 2.25 or 2 inches etc..

My question is if I went to a 2" wide at the widest design for a pyramid bow, would I be able to cut 3 bows out of this but perhaps shoot for a lighter weight bow with the outer two pieces and shoot for the 45# bow out of what is the center piece between 2 and 4 inches?

I would appreciate any feedback.  BTW.. I have read through the TBB1-3 and have done a lot of reading on here and other places.  I'm just finally trying to put what I have read and been learning to the wood.

Here are the pics:  
   
   

[takefive]

From what I see in the pics, that looks like a really good board.  Kinda tough to see the way it runs on the edge but the grain on the face looks very straight.  IMHO you could cut your 2" width anywhere you want on it.  If Curt is aka 4est Trekker, I followed his pyramid bow build along for my first bow.  I also used hickory, 2" wide tapered to 1/2" tips.  Assuming your board is 3/4" thick, you'll have plenty of thickness for a 45# bow and you'll be into the belly wood far enough that you won't have to worry about the handle popping off.

[LESKEN2011]

That definitely looks like a great hickory board to start with. You should be able to get several bows out of it. Starting with 2" should be good. Good luck.

[KellyG]

Rip that bad boy in to 3 pieces I would make the heavier bows out of the piece on the left. The center one will have rings violated (but it is hickory) but why take a chance. That left edges is almost quarter sawn. If you rip it 2” your 3 boards will be just a shade under 2". Should be plenty of wood for a 45# bow.

Heck lay out your 3 cuts, then your 3 bows and cut them all out at the same time.

[Pat B]

If your staves come out less than 2" wide just make the bow an inch or two longer.

[razorback]

What Kelly said except I think your best 2"s are inch 1-3. Inches 3-5 will have grain violations for sure. Check to see how wavy the grain os down that section. Is probably good for 3 but definitely 2 bows. Trap the back to avoid frets.

[kenboonejr]

Thanks guys for the responses.  The grain runs pretty straight all the way down the board.  I was thinking the middle section was the best section but I guess I can see where grain is broken on each side on the back.  Would it be true that for a seflbow that this grain would be ideal, where I would scrap down to a single ring?  But for a board bow its not good because each side is broken on the back if you will?

Razorback - what do you mean by trap the back?
Thanks!

[KellyG]

yes if you scraped it down to one ring then it would b just like a self bow. It is hickory so it whould hold but I would make a kid bow or back it to just make sure.

I have not made any board bows or many hickory but The coupld I did I broke one it was my first try at a bow ever and the second I heat treated the belly. And Pat had to keep telling me darker no darker. It was very nerve racking let me tell you.

[razorback]

Ken trapping the back is when you make the back narrower than the belly. Looks like a trapezoid in cross section.Hickory is stronger in tension than compression and so the back will over power the belly causing compression fractures. To help avoid this you can make the back narrower and thus weaker than the belly, balancing out the relative strengths and weaknesses of the wood. Curt did this with his swap bow this year and I have a hickory pyramid bow in the works that is also trapped. The other thing to do to increase its compression strength is to heat treat the belly. I have not done that successfully yet so I will let others with more experience give pointers for that. Good luck with these bows and keep the pictures coming.

[bubby]

I've built a ton of board bows and that flatsawn pc in the middle is just fine, never chased a ring on a board, don't think you need to, should get three nice bows out of that

[kenboonejr]

Guys,
I appreciate the feedback.  I will hopefully get them marked out and cut this weekend.  I am looking forward to it!
Thanks again!