Where to get Hickory boards

[razorback]

Anybody know where to get Hickory boards or staves, in the Adirondacks.
Also if anyone knows which of the local trees up here make good stave wood for bows. Got lots of trees but don't want to cut anything that wont make a good bow.
Tony

[Pat B]

You should be able to find hickory boards at any reliable lumber yard. I'm not familiar with NY trees but birch, hophornbeam, hard maple and oaks will make bows.    Pat

[razorback]

Thanks Pat
No Oak in the area but we have several males including hard and lots of birch. Do you know if there is any difference between yellow/golden birch and white birch

[hit or miss]

Be careful with hickory from retail sources.

It is legal to sell pecan as hickory.  I'm working on a BBH from lumber I ordered from the local lumberyard.  Ordered 5 boards and got good enough wood to have 2 slats.

[Pat B]

The birches are about the same with yellow being slightly stronger.
  Hit or Miss, pecan is a hickory and will make a fine bow.

[ChristopherO]

Find a local rough cut saw mill and they can set you up with what you need.  It will probably need to be dried before use, though.

[razorback]

Thanks Christopher
We have a couple of mills in the area and a logging operation just up the road. Will check in with them and may be able to get a log of choice local stuff.

[Pat B]

If you buy from a saw mill you would be better served to get wet(green) wood. If white woods are stored outside for too long decay will set in and make it useless for bows. Be sure there is no coloration or discoloration on any whitewood boards you get from a saw mill.     Pat

[razorback]

Thanks Pat
Will keep that in mind and find out how long they have been sitting

[hit or miss]

Pat
Thanks, that is good to know.

Scott

[Pat B]

When you are dealing with osage, locust, mulberry and a few others you don't have to worry about it as much but with any of the whitewoods(I include oaks, ash, elm, maple, fruit wood and nut wood)it only takes a few days laying on the ground for fungi to set in. After all, that is their job!!!     Pat

[The Gopher]

for about 3 weeks this last summer my local home depot got a shipment of hickory,i've never seen hickory there before. after two weeks or so they clearanced a whole rack at 75% off. i got enough hickory to build a solid hickory workbench plus a few bows from the best boards. any way check menards too if you have those out there, or a local lumber yard.

[No-sage]

You'll need to go more south for hickory, maybe be able to find some in the Lake George area and south from there.

Of the tree's that I see around camp, just north of Speculator, I'd go with cherry, yellow birch, or hard maple.

[ishiwannabe]

What about elm or ash? I know here, just north of the Catskills, it is more common than hickory.

I am seriously thinking about taking a tree or two down soon to get some staves to learn on, and for trade bait.
I have almost everything available in NY available to me. Hickory, ash, elm, cherry, locust and maple. If I do take some down and stave em up, I will let ya know.

[No-sage]

I've seen a few White Ash trees up north, very few and far between.  Black ash is more common, known up there as basket ash..... not worth cutting for bows IMO.

Jamie, if you need help picking a tree or cutting and hauling, let me know.  Not just any tree can make a good selfbow, I'm sure you know.

[razorback]

Thanks Guys.
No Hickory up here, I believe it is mostly a variety of maples, birch and Cherry. Have been keeping an eye out for a good looking cherry. Do you need to chase a ring into the heartwood  with cherry or can you use the asp wood for the back?

[Pat B]

With cherry I always used the wood under the bark(sapwood) as the bows back. If you have access to boards the heartwood makes a pretty good bow with a backing.   Hard maple(sugar maple) will make an very good bow.

[razorback]

Thanks pat
Will have to get out and locate some choice trees and then in the spring once the leaves have come out, get the saw out. Are both those trees like hickory, in that they are best cut once the leaves come out so there is a good new growth ring and the bark will slip off?

[ron w]

Just south of you, near Little Falls and St.Johnsville there is alot of Amish and several saw mills. They use Hickory alot in the furniture and stuff they make. May be worth the ride to investagate.

[Pat B]

Only woods like osage, locust and mulberry do you need to chase a ring below the bark and sapwood. Most other woods I treat as whitewood and cut when the bark will slip.    Pat