cambium

[Jay]

I'm starting a new hickory longbow. It is from a tree we cut down and split about two years ago. The entire bow will be from the sapwood.

I am wondering if leaving some of the cambium on the back would act as a backing, or a waist of time, seeing as the last ring will be intack.?

Thanks!
Jaybird

[randman]

I've read somewhere that the sapwood of hickory is what you want for a bow (at least as close to sapwood as you can get if using a board) unlike some other woods where you have to remove the sapwood....coughblacklocustcough.... Maybe someone with hickory experience can provide more info on that.
Very thin cambium with some spots of the sapwood back showing through white and a stain color over everything can look very nice and give a natural "camo" look.

[Jay]

That would be a cool patturn.   

[Pat B]

Ideally with hickory(and other whitewoods) you want the wood right under the bark to be the back of your bow. Harvesting wood during the growing season allows you to just peel the bark and whats under is the back of your bow. With winter cut hickory(and other whitewood) you have to remove the bark with a draw knife or whatever and gently scrape the cambium off. You can leave some cambium for a camo effect but the cambium isn't strong so you don't want to depend on it as a backing.

[TRACY]

Nothing wrong leaving some cambium layer on especially when it's scraped to reveal a natural camo pattern.


Tracy

[Jay]

The tree was harvested in the fall after the leaves fell.The bark was still tough to get off.
The cambium was always going to be on the back.

Thanks for the help.

[soy]

Leaving some on is an awesome camo pattern when the wood shines through in spots , however you do not want to leave too much on and it will lift and tick... so a little = good ,a lot =not so much

[Pappy]

Leaving some streaks will be fine like others have said for a pretty cool look ,but don't leave a thick layer,it will break when it gets dry,no good for backing at all,been there done that.   It will de laminate  at best and take some of the good wood with it at worst. Sap wood is the best part of a Hickory,guess you could make a bow from the heart ,just never tried,I use that to cook brats. Man needs fire also. Thats why like Pat said I cut mine in the growing season,that camibum layer can be a bear to get off.
   Pappy

[crooketarrow]

  As others have said the only use for cambium is camo. I have did this a couple times and it looks good. You can make a bow from just heart wood.
  I cut a huge HICKORY a long time ago and got 31 staves and 8 belly splits. I'd gotten more but it was alittle rotten in the center.
   I made 2 bows before I sold or traded the others off. Both were 64 inchs and 6 2 and 66 pounds. I've always heard that white wood makes the best bows in HICKORY. They both made good bows LOOKING BACK I COULD'NT SEE AND GREAT DIFFERENCES. Other than heart woods just harder to get and get to.
  I make alot of HICKORY bows I always use the wood under the bark for the back. I love the way HICKORY stains.  I barnished the back of one the other. The 65 #er I built for a guy that wanted  raw hide from a elk he'd killed. I also added elk tip over lays.

[Jay]

Thanks guys!!

All I can say is this is my 9th self bow but first one from a tree. WAY more steps than a board bow    I'm lov'n verey scrape of my draw knife.
My ELB that i have been shooting had a lower limb crack a few weeks ago so I can't wait to toss some arrow out of this stick.


On a side note: I just purchased a Bear Motive 6..please forgive me but WOW... its been a few years since i shot a compound bow. This this kicks butt! The reason I purchased it is my friends asked me to be on a 3-d leauge this winter and I didn't want to mess them up.

Even with the new compound I feel empty with out a wood bow made with my hands, loosing arrows, down range, I made.

Thanks again for the advice!!
Jaybird
(American Warbow society)