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Author Topic: Backing a Hickory board bow  (Read 3192 times)

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Offline woodenwonder

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Backing a Hickory board bow
« on: December 22, 2008, 01:27:46 pm »
What would you back a 40# Hickory board bow with? I know it doesn't need backing, but a friend has paid me to build him a bow like my Ash backed Red Oak bow. I think he likes the look of the backing strip. I though about White Oak, but I would rather use a wood with some color contrast to the Hickory. I do have pieces of Osage and Ipe as well as Bacote, Rosewood, Maple, Bubinga and other common hardwoods here in Eastern United States. I'm afraid he might have a problem with the color of Osage. I really just want some thing for looks that won't fail over the Hickory, maybe if I cut it down real thin (.05") Any thoughts? Gary
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Backing a Hickory board bow
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2008, 03:05:15 pm »
If you want durability, it would be hard to beat another strip of hickory. If you want contrast, you can use linen, silk, or paint/dye/stain the hickory backing.
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Offline woodenwonder

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Re: Backing a Hickory board bow
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2008, 03:21:49 pm »
I think the guy was impressed with the looks of white ash on the red oak. So I kind of want to keep with all wood, thats what he's expecting.
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Backing a Hickory board bow
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2008, 03:23:46 pm »
Why not do the same thing then red oak backed with ash? Or give him yer bow and make yerself a new one ;)
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Offline woodenwonder

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Re: Backing a Hickory board bow
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2008, 04:26:50 pm »
Dana, that's a good question. My thinking was, since he's paying me, I want something that would hold up longer than red oak. But maybe that would work. hmmm.
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Backing a Hickory board bow
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2008, 06:34:58 pm »
Another option could be Black Walnut heart wood with ash or maple backing. I've never used BW so I'm not sure of its compression ability.
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"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

Offline woodenwonder

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Re: Backing a Hickory board bow
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2008, 08:11:16 pm »
Walnut would look great with hickory, but I don't have any. I rummaged though my wood pile and found a yellow/black piece of bacote which looks great beside the hickory. I'll add some bloodwood accents. He's going to be happy.
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Offline ballista

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Re: Backing a Hickory board bow
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2008, 08:13:21 pm »
dana, im there with you on that walnut, there was a guy in wisconsin who made and sold bows, ancient archery.com, but for some reason its not working- but it was some of the best wrk ive ever seen, and he never used zebrawood, wenge, padouk, or any other fufu woods, he just stayed practical, and they looked fantastic. i looked for a link, but I think the site was stopped, sorry man, but good luck, that bacote sounds real cool- cant wait to see the end product.-jimmy
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