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Author Topic: hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?  (Read 2024 times)

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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?
« on: October 15, 2011, 03:45:45 am »
Anyone know how well this works out?
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Offline Pat B

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Re: hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2011, 10:48:48 am »
Hickory heartwood is more brittle than the sapwood. I think I'd stick with sapwood for backing.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline backgardenbowyer

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Re: hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2011, 08:48:07 pm »
I've made a couple of ELBs with hickory backings that had a mixture of heartwood and sapwood in them and the bows seems to be holding up fine - but I do think the heartwood might well be more brittle
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Offline bubby

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Re: hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2011, 08:58:55 pm »
it says "for backed bow belly's", I think he's talking about useing it for belly's, or am I reading it wrong, Bub
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failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2011, 09:46:39 pm »
Should be fine for bellys.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline adb

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Re: hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2011, 10:20:19 pm »
I've had real bad luck with hickory heartwood, as mentioned, being very brittle.
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Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2011, 08:15:48 pm »
Yes,  I'll be backing with bamboo.  The local source is running low on knot free sap wood 4/4.  I can get 1/2" BUT the price structure changes.  As 4/4 I pay per board foot, rip of a 1/4" and have a piece just over 5/8" and the 1/4".  Then I can save the thin slices and glue several togeather in a deeper form.  Else I just get the one belly for about the same money.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2011, 03:28:17 pm »
My opinion is the boo will absolutely crush the heartwood and chrysal like a sum gun. I have built a few from heartwood and it worked as a self bow fine. The heartwood was VERY light in physical weight. The whole 62" bow weight 14 oz.
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Offline bubby

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Re: hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2011, 08:54:51 pm »
 I say build one and see what happens, like Pat I think you'll be fine, just thin the boo good ,  bub
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failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline Prarie Bowyer

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Re: hickory heart wood for backed bow bellies?
« Reply #9 on: October 24, 2011, 12:32:17 pm »
by local source I mean 1 hour drive.  I'm not going that far to make an experiment.  I'll switch to Birch which ranks similarily on the properties charts.  I also have two big flitched of pretty clear maple, even though I vowed not to use it again.
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