First tim working with hickory?

[lebhuntfish]

Hey guy's I got a couple of hickory staves given to me at mojam this year! I'm excited to get going on these but have never worked with a hickory stave before. I received these with the bark on them.  The staves were cut in 09'.

Saturday at a small bowyers get together at my house I pulled one out and started to remove the bark. I got the rough exterior bark all off and under that was this brown layer. The question I have is, is this the back of my bow or is it still part of the bark/cambium layer?  I thought the back of a hickory bow should be the white wood. Here are some pictures so you can see what i'm talking about. Patrick

 

 

 

[autologus]

Gotta keep going until you get to the white sapwood.  Good luck, hickory with the bark stuck fast is a pain to shuck.

Grady

[Pat B]

Do you know what time of year it was cut? If it was winter cut it will be hard to get the bark off. If summer it should be easier.
  You should remove the inner bark and cambium but be careful not to violate the back too badly. Generally the sapwood right under the bark has small ridges and valleys in it. You can leave some of the cambium on it for a camo effect.

[Buckeye Guy]

Take your draw knife or chisel and drive it in at the color change and give it a pry , hopefully the bark comes off
If not keep trying , or scrapping till you get it off
some times getting it wet helps

[blackhawk]

You'd b better off trying to make a bow with a wet sponge than hickory....   just kidding....good luck with that and don't forget to get your bag of patience out of your tool box when you work on it  once ya get it off and roughed down to floor tiller weigh it and record its weight...then hot box that baby...and crank the heat up...hickory needs to be 6-7% to be good wood IMO.

[lebhuntfish]

Thanks guy's! I was pretty sure in my mind that the darker stuff had to come off but figured it would be better to ask first. That stuff sure would be pretty though! 

Pat B, I don't know when it was cut. To be honest I didn't even know to ask! 
 
I guess I have some more work to do. I will update with the progress ASAP. Thanks, Patrick

[SamIAm]

Patrick....I've worked with a couple of hickory staves.  As someone above stated, if the was cut in the summer, then the bark comes off pretty easy, if it's removed immediately.  If left on or if the tree was cut in the winter, it's a pain.  But you don't have to take all of the cambrium off.  Get it down close to the white wood but you can leave a little just to make sure you don't violate the white wood.  Some of the brown cambrium left behind will actually give the bow some character.  Don't think I'm telling you wrong.  I'm working on one right now and have the same issue and I'm leaving on some of the brown stuff.  When you get close you can use a cabinet scraper to slick it on down.  Sam

[lebhuntfish]

Well today happens to be one of my days off. I wasn't feeling like doing much but after the good replies I decided to see how the rest of the bark would come off. I started it with a chisel at the edge and when it was deep enough I put my draw knife it and it literally took less than a minute to remove it almost completely.  With a little scraping and cleaning up I will have a really nice back to this hickory stave! Thanks again guy's, Patrick

[lebhuntfish]

Thanks Sam, I didn't read your post till after I posted mine. I will take that into account when I clean it up some.

How are you feeling? Better I hope! Patrick

[Buckeye Guy]

Glad it went well for you !

[lebhuntfish]

Thanks again you all!

[wildman]

I really like the look of hickory with a small amount of cambium left on. If you add a light gray die it will have very natural camo.

[lebhuntfish]

Thanks wildman, I might have to do that. Patrick

[SamIAm]

That's a good idea Wildman; I may try that on the one I'm working on.  When you say "die," do you mean stain?  What do you use to "die" it?  Patrick...feeling great, got over that summer cold the week after MoJam.  Been doing a lot of outdoor work.  This weather is unbelievable.

[lebhuntfish]

Glad to hear that you are feeling better Sam!  Been working on some things around here as well. Getting some bows ready, hopefully one for hunting season!