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Author Topic: Hickory backed Cherry?  (Read 3961 times)

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Offline J05H

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Hickory backed Cherry?
« on: September 14, 2009, 07:07:44 am »
What do you guys think?  I have the stuff ordered, and I'm just looking for a little advice. I was thinking of trying a R/D. I ordered the hickory at  1/4" x 2" x 6', and the Cherry at 1/2" x 2" x 6'. How thick should I make the hickory? What weight range could I safely get with a 2" width? Anything I forgot to ask that you guys think I need to know? Let me know. Thanks, Josh
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2009, 09:22:18 am »
Many try, some succeed. :) HBC seems to be a sweet -shooting combo if it stays in one piece. Never built one myself, but from what I've seen here over the years, I'd take that hickory down to 1/8" thick or a little thinner and leave everything full length. I wouldn't try for much over 50# or so. Good luck, and maybe somebody with more experience with that combo will chime in soon.
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2009, 11:42:39 am »
What Hillbilly siad, I've tried two and failed both times :'(
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Offline adb

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2009, 01:06:45 pm »
I guess I've been lucky. I've done several hickory backed cherry, and a maple backed cherry, and they've all turned out fine. I did keep them all longish (nothing <68" ntn), wide, and low poundage (nothing >45#). All backing strips were 1/8". You must achieve perfect tiller with cherry, with no overstressing or hinges. All the cherry bows I've made had rigid handles with elliptical tiller.
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Offline J05H

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2009, 04:17:26 pm »
Thanks guys. Sounds like maybe I shouldn't have picked cherry for my first R/D. I'll be asking for lots of help during the process.

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2009, 04:22:27 pm »
it's all good, man!  Just don't make this one an r/d...go for straight up longbow, you'll be fine
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Offline J05H

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2009, 01:21:47 am »
I have a set of hickory and maple coming too. Would this be better for an R/D?
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Offline Tom Leemans

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #7 on: September 15, 2009, 09:17:08 am »
That Hickory will need to be pretty thin and if the bow slat is only 1/2" thick to start, you better leave it pretty wide and long. I personally wouldn't even try a R/D.
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Offline snedeker

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #8 on: September 15, 2009, 09:34:07 am »
I bet maple backed cherry would be a good combo. The maple would be a little easier on the cherry

Dave
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Offline adb

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #9 on: September 15, 2009, 11:48:00 am »
Maple backed cherry is a good combo, but I wouldn't make it a R/D. If you want a R/D profile, go with bamboo/osage or hickory/ipe, etc.
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Offline J05H

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2009, 01:48:20 am »
Quote from: adb on September 15, 2009, 11:48:00 am
Maple backed cherry is a good combo, but I wouldn't make it a R/D. If you want a R/D profile, go with bamboo/osage or hickory/ipe, etc.

Thanks for the advice. The only problem is that I already ordered the wood. I should have asked these questions first. I would really like to try an R/D but I don't want to break these pieces. Any advice on what I could do with what I have? If I can only get one bow out of all of it, so be it. I could just make a MBC longbow and save the hickory strips for later. What ratio of Maple to Cherry? Thanks for the help.
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Offline J05H

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2009, 02:00:38 am »
Just had an idea. Would 1/2" total be thick enough for an HBH R/D? The slats are 2" wide.
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #12 on: September 16, 2009, 06:58:29 am »
On the HBC I would glue it up in a simple perry reflex style with about 2" of reflex and maybe even make it a D bow but then again I like D bows :)
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Hickory backed Cherry?
« Reply #13 on: September 16, 2009, 08:20:21 am »
Make the Hickory less than 1/8" if you can and work the back to a round profile.  If you use Maple then 1/8" thick but still round the back.  Don't glue in a lot of reflex in, perhaps a couple inches at most.  Keep the belly flat and make the width about 1 1/2" or a bit more
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