Hickory Pick Handle Selfbow

[scoot8181]

G'day lads!!
I'm new here on P.A altbough I have been snooping around for a while.
I'm live near Geelong, in Victoria, Australia.....and love Trad Archery and Bowhunting.
Although I have'nt shot for quite a while, I have recently caught the bug again.
I have made a a few board bows but nothing worth mentioning. Lately i've been reading about static tip recurves and thought i might give one a go!
My biggest issue is sourcing quality bow woods. The only thing readily available is Spotted Gum but the last working bow I made from it has taken on alot of string follow.
So...while wondering around my local hardware store I found two Hickory Pick handles that were cheap enough.
My plan is to splice these two together and go from there!!
I would like to back it with something....possibly raw hide but more likely bamboo.
I just have a few questions.....had anybody done this before?
Ifso do you have any pics to share? I'd love to see them.
Should I steam or heat the recurves in?
How hard are bush nock to make?
Cheers
Scoot

[bjrogg]

Welcome to PA Scoot glad to see you come in from the shadows I think your gonna like it here. I personally have never made a bow from pick handles, but I know guy's have made them from wheel barrel handle and such. I'm a early riser so maybe when the rest of US wakes up somebody that built one will jump in here. I'd love to visit your country some day good luck I'm sure what you want to do can work.
Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

PS I'm guessing backing with bamboo would make a better bow, but I'm not sure it might over power hickory I don't think it's a great one for compression if I remember right. Others I'm sure will know
Bjrogg

[loon]

Bamboo backings have been done with ERC and hickory, bamboo backed hickory bows are sold on several places... so.. don't know what has to be done differently with those than with more compression strong and 'steel like' woods like Ipe and maybe osage I guess

[Stick Bender]

First off welcome aboard ,There was a thread a while back that somebody posted with a axe handle bow I believe it was un backed you might want to search the archives , hickory could make a nice bow un backed if strait grained & all , if you heat treat the belly & good tiller you get minimal string follow , hickory is a great wood that gets some bad press some times but if sealed right it makes a supper bow!  PS hickory takes steam very well for recurves  but some times come out if not heat treated after.

[osage outlaw]

I've never done it but a quick search led to these pages.  I hope this helps.

http://primitivearcher.com/articles/pickaxe.html

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=25870.0

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,15465.0.html


Living in Australia you should be able to get some good looking snake skins for backings.

[Eric Krewson]

I have backed several hickory bows with bamboo, all performed much like bamboo backed osage.

[bubby]

Noy only has it been done unbacked but there was a article in primitive archer a year or two back on pick handle bows

[JW_Halverson]

I think you will do fine with the bamboo backing.  A backing like that will turn a mortal sin against the grain into a mere venal sin. 

As for the board bows not worth mentioning....why did you mention them?  Now I wanna see what you have been doing down under!  Post a few pics. 

And welcome to bedlam, where even those that disagree with you will still work to help you make a better bow!