Should I flatten the back?

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I have this stave of what I’m prettt certain Is hackberry. It came from a sapling that was about 2.5-3” diameter, so has a pretty high crown. It was cut last fall so is still a bit wet. I have it roughed out to 1.5” wide from fade to midlimb and is 55” tip to tip, so it can dry quicker. I’m aiming for 40# at 27”. Though will stop a bit shy in draw length if it shows I’ll need to. I would like to decrown this stave, but I’m not sure if I would have the patience for it. Once braced I will heat treat and flip the tips while trying to smooth out a reflexed spot in the one limb. If the growth rings were like hackberry normally is I wouldn’t even have second thoughts about decrowning. But they rings would be nice by yew standards.

So what do you all think?

Thanks,
Kyle

[PatM]

No reason to do that at all. Crowned tension strong wood is a good thing.

[Del the cat]

+1
Del

[Springbuck]

  Yeah, I don't know anything about hackberry, but I probably work with 3-4" saplings more than anything.  That crown doesn't bother elm, hard maple, ash, plum, serviceberry, hazel, thornapple, apple, white mulberry, or a dozen other woods not coming to mind.

The only thing is that the roundness often won't give you the width you wish you had for "X" wood and "Y" design.  So you have to manage expectations about draw weight, esp. if your stave is on the short side.  If you are really worried, ditch the handle and get the middle bending.  40 lbs at 27" sounds very reasonable to me.

[PatM]

Looks like a prime stave for a shorter Eastern woodland type bow.  Maybe a Mohegan style if you want to curve it some.

[Bayou Ben]

Kyle,
Considering how small those rings are, did you have any trouble chasing one for the back?
I'm just curious. 

[Badger]

  Ihave never seen that fine of a ring on Hackberry. Are you 100% sure it is hackberry? Either way I would worry about the crown, just get as much limb as you can bending and if you see I taking set too early on back off on the weight a bit.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Thanks guys. I think this is my first sapling bow. Most of what I work with have been staves from 10-12” trees. Sounds like I’ll leave the crrown be and see what it’ll let me get once it dries fully. My plans at the moment are for it to be a bendy handle with slightly flipped tips, since it is on the short side, but not by much. I was thinking the scalloped bows that I’ve seen halfeye do many of.

I’ll have to look up the Mohegan style, I’m not sure if exactly which one hat is

I just went with tenting under the bark, so no ring chasing required. I’ve done similar rings on Osage and it is a royal PITA. But doable with good light, a good scraper and lots of patience.

I’m about 80% sure it’s hackberry. The leave

[Morgan]

100% certain That is definitely hackberry. You don’t need to de crown it. Definitely roast the tar out of the belly. If you haven’t fooled with hackberry, Careful removing the bark, if it is stuck on there, it is different from hickory, elm, and oak. After you knock the warts off and get through the grey/green outer bark, there will be an orange crumbly inner bark. Go easy on that till you see a creamy brown colored cambium. That is paper thin and scrapes off very easily. You don’t wanna chase a ring on that stave. I have 4 staves with very tight rings like that and I’m avoiding them like the plague cause it’s easy to go through that orange inner bark and straight to the back if you’re not very careful

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Looks like some of my last post got cutoff. Though I can’t remember what I had typed. I think I’d said that in about 85% positive it’s hackberry. The bark had the distinct warty look and the leaves looked appropriate. The little heartwood there was had a green hues chocolate color. Even though I was a wildlife major, plants were my weak area.
At this point I’ve already got the bark off and the stave roughed out to dimension, and a rough floor tiller dome. I did nic through the back on the edges, but they got removed during rough out. I did as I normally do when either chasing a ring or removing bark. I drawknife off close to layer I want , occasionally touching through to the layer. Then I scrape until about 70% of the layer is showing, then once I have all my markings done and the shape cut out, I sand the back clean. Then the marks are removed at the same time I get the same time the back is clean.

Kyle

[Badger]

  Hackberry is a great wood to work, not quite as dense as elm but makes great bows. One of my favorites to work with.

[Chief RID]

I can't wait to watch this one.  Good luck. Steady as she goes.

[Morgan]

Kyle, I hope you didn’t take offense at my suggestions. My first experience de barking winter cut hackberry did not go well. The bark is different from what I had been used to and the cambium was less than paper thin so I violated the tar out of the back. The rings were thick enough to fairly easily chase a ring though. If I can help keep someone not familiar with hackberry from having the same delima I try to.
I haven’t had the pleasure of working Osage, but from the white woods that I have  worked with, it is hands down my favorite.  And, it doesn’t have to be as over built as some are convinced. I know that wider and longer is always safer, but I have a 45# 66” bow that is just a hair over 1 1/4” wide. Lots of working limb but rigid handle. I have no idea how many arrows it’s shot but well over 1000. It lost 1 1/2” of 3” natural reflex.
I look forward to seeing what you do with that one.