Hackberry Help

[Piddler]

Guys and Gals
I need a little advice on a good design for Hackberry. Also some beginners advice on making a decent bow so I'll try and break it down.
Currently 68" hackberry stave moderately high crowned but not too bad.
Fairly crooked side to side with a little bit of a twist. Gonna steam it and get it straightened out.
Currently cut down to 2" width all the way
Thickness is cut down to 1" except for the handle area
Gonna shoot for 50 lbs at 28"
Still needs some drying time but I want to get it roughed out close
Ok Questions I have may seem simple to some. Tell me your thoughts. I have been thinking about straight limbs from 2" to maybe 1 7/8' about halfway then tapering to 1/2" tips. Is there a better design that this wood will like.
On the handle design. I've seen different designs. Some find center then 2" below and 2" above before starting to the fades pretty much has equal limb length
Others and probably more common are find center then 1" above then 3" below. This one would have a shorter lower limb. 1 1/2 to 2" to fades then rest of design you prefer.
So questions are after finding center
?? inches above center.
?? inches below center
?? inches to fades from previous marks
Which Limb design
?? width for limbs.
?? length before taper to nocks
Thanks in advance for the advice
Piddler

[Pat B]

Piddler, many of the guys that have worked hackberry are off at an archery shoot. I sure some will chime in when they get back. I've not made a bow with hackberry so I'll leave it to them to help you. You could post a few pics of your stave. They will ask for that anyway.
Good luck with your new project. Keep us posted with your progress.

[SLIMBOB]

I love Hackberry. Tempered well it’s great. My opinion...2 inches wide to mid limb. Then taper to the tips. I do mine centering the handle. Equal length limbs. So 2 inches above center for the top of the grip, then 2 inch fades. Mirror that below center.

[airkah]

I've used hackberry a few times, I really enjoy working with it. One thing I would recommend is to toast the belly, I think it really improves hackberry.

I think your design would work just fine. I tend to do more of a pyramid style even taper down the limb, but that's just my personal preference. I know a lot of great bowyers here would rough the bow out the way you described. Extra width on hackberry isn't a bad idea, I'd definitely use the whole 2in coming out of the fades.

As far as the handle design, I'm not sure one way is necessarily better than another. I've done both (with shorter limb as top on asymmetrical), and I haven't noticed a performance benefit either way. I usually prefer to center the handle and do 2in above and below though. My eye sees tiller better that way than it does with asymmetrical limbs. It also allows me to flip the bow whichever way I need to if one limb is slightly weaker than the other. But if you prefer an asymmetrical design, that's what you should do.

Can't wait to see what you decide to do! Good luck!

[Badger]

  I just finished a hackberry bow, basically same design you described but mine is 1 7/8 wide tapers from mid limb to 3/8 tips. I like to center my handle. I put 1 1/2" reflex into mine and it held only 1/2" but still shoots nicely. My length is 70" but that shouldn't make much difference. My stiff handle and fade area is 14" if I had it to do over I would have kept it at about 10" and I might have held more reflex.

[Piddler]

Pictures of stave as requested. Hopefully they show up I had to shrink them down a bit. Phone photos so not great quality.
Thanks for the comments.
Piddler

[Pat B]

You can take the stave down to floor tiller stage, about 5/8" to 3/4" while it is green and not adversely affect it. It will dry quicker that way too.

[SLIMBOB]

If it were mine...I would straighten it, flip the tips, shape the handle and move right into floor tillering. Don’t bend it much without tempering first. Temper right after floor tiller. I don’t know how green it is but once it is floor tiller size it will dry pretty quick.

[ohma2]

Appears you have enough recomendations to get some going.i would just add that i think hack is so underated its a shame .

[Stixnstones]

Love me some hackberry... i agree with what everyone has said so far. Good luck... cant wait to see it

[Piddler]

Guys and Gals,
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.
Gonna take this thing down a little more in limb thickness (about 3/4") then straighten it out and let it dry for a while. May take it down one ring due to some damage from the bulldozer that knocked it over. That's the dark spot in the middle where the handle will be. Still debating that one. Took the glue off I had sealing it and it looks better than it does in the photo. Plans for now are equal length limbs, stiff handle of 4" + 2" for each fade total of 8. Width at fade will be 2" (or close) going to mid limb then taper to 1/2" at the tip.
I'll post photos when I get closer. Probably have some questions as we go along. Been debating full width for 1/2 limb length or only 1/3rd
Thought about a pyramid but have an ash going that route. Less than ideal piece of wood but it's working so far.

Also, Congrats Airkah on your BOM

Piddler

[Hrothgar]

Piddler you have a lot of good advice. I've only made a couple hackberry bows and they ended up a bit under 50# with the belly toasted. A heavier weight can likely be achieved, its a treat to work with.

[Danzn Bar]

Hackberry loves and needs heat tempering.
DBar

[airkah]

Been debating full width for 1/2 limb length or only 1/3rd
Thought about a pyramid but have an ash going that route. Less than ideal piece of wood but it's working so far.

Also, Congrats Airkah on your BOM

Piddler

Thanks so much!

Don't forget you can always rough it out so its full width the first half and then taper it to full width for a third if you felt like it was too wide.

[SLIMBOB]

Hackberry needs the width mid limb in my opinion. The mass will be higher but the lack of set makes it net positive.