hickory backing

[wood is good]

Is there a preferred growth ring orientation for hickory backing strips?  thanks

[okie64]

I've used all of them. Plain sawn is the most fool proof since you can see how many runups you have. If you use quarter sawn be sure to look at the rings on the side also to see if there is any waviness. Hickory is pretty tough stuff but it will break if the grain runs off the side at sharp angles.

[wood is good]

Thanks.  I have a good sized hickory that I am going to cut down and I want to saw some backing stock while I'm at it.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Nice! Get all the 1/4 sawn you can get from it. I agree with Okie, almost any will work. 1/4 sawn has a cool grain pattern for your stain.

[wood is good]

Thanks guys.  I just got an oak board from Lowes for my first bow but I have staves and boards from hackberry, elm, cedar, mulberry and locust that I cut from my woods, drying.

[fujimo]

i like them all, but i have noticed with natural oil finishes on the 1/4 sawn, that it always seems to stay a little "spikey" or "hairy", (i geuss its just minute fibres sticking up) no matter how much i sanded and finished it- that could all be resolved with a poly type finish though.- in retrospect the sealing poly finish is probably better - to stabilise the m.c. as hickory is so prone to m.c. changes.

[dmikeyj]

fujimo- have you tried wetting the wood to bring up the hairs, then sanding?