green tree or dead for hickory wood selfbow

[peaceatwork]

looking to make some hickory bows from some trees but not sure if it is best to cut a free tree or find a "dead and down" one to split.

Also, what is the optimal size (girth) of the tree to use?

thanks,

oh, please redirect if there is a good post or video, thanks.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

With a tension strong wood like hickory or elm, a 3" sapling can make a bow(ok, not a wide bow, but a bow). Always cut live wood or a tree that has fallen less than a week or so ago- white wood, such as hickory, elm, oak, birch, ash, etc rot fast and quickly become useless.
Go with something from 5-12 inches(IMO anything bigger is a beast to cut and split... 6 inch elm is a PITA) according to TBB Vol 1.
Try to find something about 70" long, 8" diameter. Cut it carefully, and IMMEDIATLY AFTER YOU CUT IT, paint the ends with glue or sealer so it doesn't crack(check) as it dries. Peel the bark off for hickory and most other woods, but not for Osage or Locust. Don't cut into the wood under the bark- it will become the back of the bow and must have a single ring.
(ok, enough rambling)

[Slackbunny]

Never used hickory, but I believe the consensus is that you shouldn't use found dead wood for 99% of species especially whitewoods. There are only a couple exceptions to that rule, osage being one of them.

[Olanigw (Pekane)]

If it's dead in the woods,  it's already started decomposing.

[TRACY]

Cut a live tree. My first attempt was a storm damage hickory and it was a lot of wasted time to say the least. Find one 4-24" and be ready to split staves and seal the ends once its down. I would peel the bark off now and seal the backs as well. Good luck!


Tracy

[peaceatwork]

Thank you so much... I have a fair bit of land to explore and will find a good, clean, straight tree to make a few staves.  taking some boys camping for a week and we need to be doing something!!!!

[Thesquirrelslinger]

You can use other woods too.
Hickory, Elm, Ash, Eastern Red Ceder...
Here- https://sites.google.com/site/onemississipp/bowwoods
Its Tim Baker's bow wood list
Someone posted it earlier this week.

[Joec123able]

Thank you so much... I have a fair bit of land to explore and will find a good, clean, straight tree to make a few staves.  taking some boys camping for a week and we need to be doing something!!!!

Unless its a rot resistant wood like Osage or cedar then forget making a bow from dead wood white woods decompose very fast where as say osage, can be left out for decades and still be turned into a bow

[Mike_H]

Guess I just got lucky.  I made one from a dead standing maple that's holding up quite well.