American Hornbeam...CRACK

[upstatenybowyer]

Bummer!! I had this one sooooo close. It was pulling 58# at 27" and I was loving the muscular look on the back. Unfortunately, I believe those irregular wavy grooves are what killed it. They weren't as extreme as on some I've seen, so I thought I might be okay. I used PatM's spoon method for removing the cambium, which worked great, so I'm sure it wasn't a knick that caused the splintering. Oh well, such is life in a day of a bow maker. 

[PatM]

That's too bad but when you think of those ridges in the context of being multiple really high crowns it's a wonder any bow with those survives.

[Dictionary]

Don't worry; you've turned out enough bows lately to make up for this single loss.

[Stick Bender]

Oh man that sucks  I always keep a couple of ruffed out bows hanging on the wall so when that happens I can just jump to the next one. Eases the pain !

[upstatenybowyer]

Pat, you're right sir. I think they were holding up until I heat treated, then they just couldn't take it any more. Someone who shall not be named made one from AH, so I thought perhaps I could.

Dictionary, this is the only loss I've posted  lol

SB, I'm on to the next one already!

[Tom Dulaney]

Sorry for your loss. Looked like a great bow but can you exlain to me what younmean by irregular grooves?

[upstatenybowyer]

Sorry for your loss. Looked like a great bow but can you exlain to me what younmean by irregular grooves?

American hornbeam's most characteristic feature is it's "muscle-like" appearance on the outside of the tree. It's also called Musclewood. If you do an image search for it you'll see what I mean. Because the outside of the tree was used as the bow's back, where all the tension is, the tension is not distributed evenly, it's concentrated on the highest part of the grooves, and that's where it split. 

[Dakota Kid]

If you think the ridges were the culprit, you can always sand the back smooth and add a rawhide or fabric backing.

[Jim Davis]

Whatever the specific failure, you just asked too much of the wood. I  guess all my bows are "overbuilt" in that they are thinner than most people make them and consequently, lower weight. I always aim for no more than 50# with a thickness of around 9/16".

Lots of you get more weight and more performance out of your bows, but breaking one now and then is the result.

Here's a small hornbeam I made for a young woman friend of my daughter.

[Greenriverwoodcraft]

Hey Upstate

I have had great luck with Ironwood if you do a sinew backing.  I made a 60 inch 50 pound bow with some pretty hefty recurve on the tips and it shot great but I think it would have done the same if it wasn't sinew backed.

[PatM]

Jim, that looks more like HHB.  Is it?

[upstatenybowyer]

Greenriver, sounds like a sweet bow. Probably should have backed mine.

Jim, that's a beautiful little number. I see the logic in overbuilding them for sure.

[turtle]

The only american hornbeam bow I have seen in person was made by a friend of mine. On it he draw knifed the back flat, ignoring all violations. He and his son have been shooting it for several years. Don't think I could ever get myself to try that though.

[Jim Davis]

Jim, that looks more like HHB.  Is it?

Yes Pat, I overlooked the American moniker in the  OP. Sorry all. Haven't tried American hornbeam for the very reasons you are all talking about. I  have a couple of them on my property and think about it now and then, but have not cut one.  Well, now that I think about it, I have a stave I cut while clearing an area, but it's  only about 2" in diameter. I only saved it because it's a rare variety on my land.

Jim

[Philipp A]

Hi there, sorry for the break. Here is my take on it:

1) I think you ended up with too short of an area that was actually bending with the added recurves
2) I believe the ridges did not contribute to it. To the contrary, I actually believe [no scientific observation] that the multiple ridges on summer harvested HHB if not violated might actually increase the surface area of the back. I believe it only becomes an issue if you have a heavily crowned stave. My HHB bow I made (Sudbury style) has extreme ridging and has so far not experienced any failures. It has however other than the ridges a flat back.
3) Backing will in my opinion transfer the problem to the bow's belly where you would increase the likelihood of chrysals if not careful. I had issues with that in the past, especially on shorter HHB bows (which this would be when counting the stiff recurves)

Cheers,

Phil