Hickory in Alaska

[cutty]

I have 3 hickory staves I picked up a few years ago. I live in Alaska. Is it still worth making hickory bows living here? Would moisture still enter sealed poly wood and make bows sluggish?
I have a hot box so I could have it perfect before sealing.

[Hamish]

I reckon hickory would be good for the extremely cold, dry, snowy weather. These conditions can break bows.
For the rainy long rainy weather you might be better off using osage, but hickory, especially if heat treated is still going to make a fine bow.

[Eric Krewson]

Jay Massy wrote about his hickory bow in one of his books. It was sinew backed hickory that had been sealed with came to be known as the "Massy" finish. This finish is two ton epoxy dissolved in acetone ,I have found this finish to be bullet proof.

In Jay's book he tells of loosing his hickory bow in a river and finding it several weeks later still in perfect shape having been protected by the finish.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Hickory isn't as bad as its made out to be. A lot of the info is just passed on with no real life experience behind it. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate using it where you live. ALL woods will get a bit dodgy when the humidity is sky high.

[Bayou Ben]

I agree that I would make a bow with the staves and not worry about it after it's sealed.  It's one of those "it is what it is" type things for me.
 
I'm interested in this "Massey" finish Eric.  So just mix 2 ton epoxy with acetone until it dissolves and slap it on the bow?

[Dances with squirrels]

Yep, thin it until it's about the same viscosity as polyurethane, then wipe it on with a cloth. You don't have much time to play around. As the acetone flashes off, things can get really sticky and turn bad if you try to go back over it. Try it on a test piece first. Soak your rag, get it on an area with a couple of quick passes, and then stay away from it. It's pretty tough.

[Springbuck]

Hickory isn't as bad as its made out to be. A lot of the info is just passed on with no real life experience behind it. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate using it where you live. ALL woods will get a bit dodgy when the humidity is sky high.

Thank you Pearl!  I actually DO think hickory CAN take a snidge more set than some in really humid environments, but absolutely its "doggy" reputation is inflated by heresay.  Well dried, well tillered hickory bows, and especially those with a heat-treated belly, are great.  I have the advantage of living in a dry state, but guys that use it a lot keep on using it all over the country.

And, as mentioned, Massey used it a ton, with a sinew back to boot!

[BowEd]

I've never used the Massey finish but I'm sure it's pretty good.If it's anything like pre catalyzed magna lac lacquer in drying time the warnings DWS should be heeded.First layer I'm sure soaks in to fill pores of the wood.Then another thin coat or two after that.Hard to do applying by hand.I spray thin coats  from a spray gun for the lacquer to remedy that.Also I would be careful about putting it on too thick also as it sounds plenty brittle of a finish and will chrysal and crack from the bow limbs bending.All on the backside of bow limbs.
Got a friend who used a wooden laminated bow hunting in Alaska and he used the paraffin method of Dean Torges.Said he used the bow as a walking stick in the swamps with no problems.

[Pat B]

A day or two in Alaska's moist climate won't adversely affect your hickory bow under normal use. It is the water vapor that affects wood and not water per se. By keeping your bow in a controlled environment(home ac/heat, hotbox) between uses will help it out.
 I don't think it matters what finish you use, eventually moisture can find it's way in. Some finished work better than others but all any finish does is slows down the hygroscopic rate; the taking on and releasing of moisture.

[Stick Bender]

I hunted a couple years ago with a hickory/sinew bow ,there where a few dew ridding dawns and one rain day and I never had a issue with the bow ,I sealed the bow with 7 thin coats of poly then Johnson floor wax , like was said I think prior storage before taking it out and it's a non issue at least for me it works.

[JWMALONE]

Like Pat said its the water vapor, and regular interior poly isn't made for that. If its a real concern use spar varnish, shellac or something. That Massey finish sounds very interesting as well. I personally don't like poly for a bow finish but that's just me. Name it George, Frank or Bill anything but Poly.

[cutty]

That gives me more incentive, thanks for the replies. When in the building do you heat treat?
Massey finish does sound interesting.

[Pat B]

Hickory reacts very well to heat treating.  Massey finish is good but can be difficult to apply smoothly. I use it to saturate hemp cordage handle wraps.