First hickory stave build! Went "BOOM" lots of pics.

[lebhuntfish]

Will do DBar, thanks! And thanks Pat for all your advice! Patrick

[lebhuntfish]

Well tonight I came home from work and worked on this hickory. I got my limb width  even but still a little wider that my finished width. I got one limb to the best floor tiller I have obtained to date. I flipped the stave over and began working on the other limb. I was starting to see a really nice bend in that limb too. I worked down a small area that was still stiff. I checked the Floor tiller again and man it was starting to look good. And I thought to myself, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this stuff. Then will critiquing the bend again on both limbs "BOOM" the bottom limb busted and hit me in the knee.

Now I inspected the break after I checked to see if I was bleeding. What I noticed was that it seamed to break right where I Had a few small dents from where I had popped the bark off with a draw knife. Now I had planned on fixing this before I got it braced but I never thought it would break while floor tillering.
I also noticed that the spot it broke was pretty much the same spot I removed some deflex in about a 6" section. But I didn't scorch the wood at all. Also it had some different little redish streaks almost like pin knots in Osage. I noticed that because they were only in one section and the rest of the bow is really white and clean.
Here are several pictures of the break. I would like to see what you guy's think. Was it because of the dents or? Patrick

OH by the way, I didn't have a fit and start throwing things this time. You all would have been proud.

[bushboy]

Hickory dosn'tt break like that unless fungus is in the mix.

[IdahoMatt]

That's kinda what I was thinking.  Looked like an unusual break

[lebhuntfish]

So if it was you guy's, would you consider using the other limb as a take down? I have a Franken bow to make for mojam.

Oh and I also noticed that the broken section sparkled when I rocked it back and forth under the light.
And I'm pretty sure I hit my elbow on my shave horse. Because now I have a big bruise starting there. Patrick

[bubby]

Too bad man, that's one reason i don't recurve the tips u till i get it to about twenty inches if it goes boom i don't lose all that work

[lebhuntfish]

I'm learning that bubby! Patrick

[DavidV]

Was that dead standing or on the ground for a long time? Like they said ^^^ good hickory shouldn't break like that, straight across the back. That's a shame though...

[lebhuntfish]

I don't know David. A fella I met at mojam gave me two of them. All I know is that they were cut in the summer of 2002. They were stored in his garage. I think his name was Clay, he is from Willard, MO. Wish I would have gotten his number. Patrick

[PEARL DRUMS]

Bad wood Patrick. Healthy hickory doesn't break, it just folds over!

[ssgtchad]

Did you scorch the back?

[Onebowonder]

Patrick - When I've seen that red colored stuff in a break, which was also on Hickory, it looked to me like it was bug damage.  Sorry you got hurt.  Mr. Pearl Drums is right about hickory folding rather than exploding, ...unless there is something wrong with the wood.  I'd be leery of using that other limb.

OneBow

[lebhuntfish]

switched, I didn't scorch the wood at all.

Thanks Eric, I wondered about the bug damage thing but I didn't see any holes at all and the split on the inside is really clean. After reading the replies I don't think I will use the other limb for anything but firewood. Patrick

[TimBo]

Yep, that looks like wood that had begun to degrade for some reason.  I would not use the other limb. 

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Ouch