HORNBEAM/IRON WOOD

[recurve shooter]

HI. IM GONNA START ON AN IRON WOOD/HORN BEAM STAVE TODAY. ITS GONNA BE A STICK BOW, LIKE THAT GREAT BIRCH ONE A WHILE BACK. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE IS ANYTHING I NEED TO KNOW INPARTICULAR TO THIS WOOD. AND ALSO, DO I HAVE TO CHASE A RING ON IT?

[John K]

No need to chase a ring on HHB, peal the bark off and you have you'r back. HHB makes a good bow so i've heard......

[david w.]

hornbeam is really easy to debark now.  If you peel the bark off it will dry faster

[DanaM]

HHB and Hornbeam are two different trees, both are known as Ironwood.
I would say 1.75" to 2" wide at the fades to past mid limb then tapering to 3/8" to 1/2" nocks. I would also stay in the 66" to 68" length range.
this is for a stiff handled bow. This design should yield a shooter, at your experience level I would overbuild it somewhat. Remember to take your
time, patience is your best tool. Exercise the limbs every time you remove wood and try to keep the limbs bending equally. Did I mention taking your time
Also make sure the stave is dry, if not just get it to floor tiller stage and allow it dry.

[akila]

I have heard that hornbeam is verry sensibil to climate changes....so  i think you should  be carrefuul how do you dry this wood...and  you should seel the wood verry well whenn the bow is  finished....

[Papa Matt]

Brothers, does HHP like to split while drying? Can you peel the bark off immediatly just after cutting the green tree?

--Ol Matt

[Auggie]

It can,but I seal the back and ends on every thing!

[Ryano]

No need to seal the back on hhb.

[DanaM]

No need to seal the back on hhb.

I'd say that depends on the relative humidity in your area, seal it and it won't check why take the chance?

[El Destructo]

                                    This time of Year...Peel it...and ....Seal It...why ruin a Good Stave

[JackCrafty]

Hophornbeam has bark that won't peel.  I don't know about Hornbeam (musclewood).

I've made some bows with hophornbeam and here are my experiences:

- I call it "white ipe".  It is VERY hard and stiff.  It polishes very well.
- I remove the bark with sandpaper.  I start with 80 grit (which removes 80% of the bark) and finish with a dremmel tool.  There are depressions in the wood...and it takes a while to remove every last bit of bark.  I have one bow with 20% of the bark still on and it shoots fine.
- It heat bends OK but be careful....it won't give you any warning when it's about to crack.
- All my bows are made from narrow saplings (less than 1 1/4" diameter) and have rounded backs.  None of them have broken (so far).
- Low brace heights are possible without danger of "string slap" on your wrist.  I think this is because of HHB's high stiffness?
- No bugs.  I haven't seen any worm tracks on any HHB (so far).
- It takes a lot of set when green.  Make sure it's dry before tillering.
 

Hope this helps.

[akila]

Yess the bark will not peel for its self.....i have work with hornbeam and its the same thing...it has a lot of valeys ., and its verry dificult to remove all the bark..... the bad thing with hornbeam trees, is that 90% of themm are all twisted....and its realy dificult to find a good straight stave...and its also verry dificult to split this tree...its verry tugh and dense....so you have to be prepare for some work  if the log its big diameter....good luck...

[recurve shooter]

cool. sounds good. i think the stuff that i have is muscle wood. just plain hornbeam. i started on it yester day and i am going VERY slow. gonna take long time on it so i dont make it hinge like i seem to like doing. thanx for the pointers guys. i'll let yall know when it is done (or broken )