backing question for a beginner

[krusty]

Hope this question isn't too stupid a question, but I don't have much experience as a bowyer, thought I've done a fair amount of cabinetry. Anyway, bamboo and hickory are commonly used as backing.  Bamboo being like a tube, is it just bandsawed down the middle, and applied? How do you get the concave size flattened? I'd think that if you tried to plane it flat, it would be pretty narrow by the time you were done.

As for hickory, how thick should it be? Do you have to follow a ring? I can't imagine you could follow a ring a such a narrow piece, but is a backing with a violated ring of much protection?

I'd appreciate your comments!

[NTD]

yep it's planed flat or belt sanded flat etc.  Large diameter boo is usually selected to miimize the crown.

[Pat B]

For bamboo backings you want a raw bamboo pole that is at least 4" in diameter and bigger is better. You don't need the finished boo backing strip to be more than about 1 3/8" wide at the widest and this will usually give you a backing strip that is about 1/8" at the crown and a razor edge on each side.  If you start off with a strip of boo(split from the whole round pole) about 2" wide and saw or plane the under side flat you should have a strip that is about 1 3/8" wide of slightly less.
  For hickory backings I like to use quarter sawn or biased grain hickory cut at 3/16" thick. This will give you a backing strip that is about 1/8" or slightly less after the saw marks are removed from both sides.  Some grain violations are acceptable with hickory but the better the backing strip is the better off you will be.