bark back hickory

[missilemaster]

Hi all. just wanted to know if anyone else has ever let the inner bark on the back of their hickory bows? I don't mean just little pieces but the whole thing, kind of like a growth ring. I've made 2 so far, one a D bow for my brother 26# @ 21" and one for me and they really spit the arrows. Both have almost no string follow. when burnished and oiled the backs are just gorgeous! Has anyone else done anything like this?

   - Cody

[1776J]

I've never done it personally, but I know some leave the cambium on for a camo effect. 
I'm working on a hickory bow right now myself....

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,23841.0.html

[Pat B]

Someone did an article years ago about leaving the inner bark on hickory bows. I have thought of doing this for years but never did. Glad to know  it works well.  Do you have any pics of your bows?  This could be a good excuse to cut hickory in the winter when the bark is set firm. 

[sailordad]

ive got a primo hick stave and primo hhb stave with the bark still on them
let me see a pic or two please
i need a reason to not go thru all that pain in the butt work of trying to remove the cambium layer

[HickoryBill]

I'm working on a hickory stave right now(thanks to PatB) I'm gonna just leave parts of the cambium layer on. For the cool camo effect. I wouldn't think leaving the whole cambium layer on would hurt the bow, maybe slow it down some.
But not  enough to notice? 

[Pat B]

With many woods if you leave the bark on it will crack and the crack will go into the wood under ruining the bow. Hickory is the only one I know that you can leace the bark on, but only the inner bark. It has a cool chriscross look to it if I remember correctly.

[crooketarrow]

  I've never left the whole thing on put did 3 just for camo. Tiger striped one that really looked good. Liked it so much I did a second.

[Cacatch]

Pat B-

In my experience, hickory does it too. I don't leave the bark on for that very reason. I ruined a very good hickory bow once by leaving the cambium on it. As said above, while it held up it shot very fast and took zero set - until the cambium cracked and it went down into the first ring of the back. After I chased the ring far enough down to erase the crack, I had a bow that was very weak and had way too much string follow. As far as I'm concerned, the cambium always comes off. Although I will admit, it's easy to fall in love with leaving it on...but just not worth it in my experience.

CP

 

[CherokeeKC]

crooketarrow do you have a pic of the tiger stripe hickory bow?  Im working on a hickory bow right now also.  So is it alright to leave spots of cambium on but just dont leave the entire cambium on?

[sailordad]

ya i dont think i am gonna chance leaving the cambium layer on on my primo staves
its work,but work well worht it from what i have been reading
ive taken it off before so its no big deal

cherokeekc,heres a pic of a hick bow i made recently.
its got some cambium still on it
i like tha camo effect it gives
i also have one i made last srping with the same camo effect to it
that one i did stain the wood to make it darker
makes for a nice look,but thats just me

[CherokeeKC]

So is leaving some cambium on like in your pic safe or not?  Would you recommend it?
I really like that look and will do that if its safe.

[sailordad]

i try and remove as much as possible
leaving a little is not detrimentle to the bow,atleast it hasnt been so far on either of mine
i try not to leavit to thick in any one area
if its to thick it will start to lift as you tiller the bow and get it bending
when that happens i just grab the little piece that lifts and pull of the stringer
this bow that i posted,it had many lift during tillering
these were mainly in areas that were deep and i wasnt realy able to get in them valleys real well to remove it
but once they started to lift it made it easier

[CherokeeKC]

Ok I think I will try it.  Just to be sure the dark wood is the cambium right?

[sailordad]

after you remove the outer bark
there will be a  brown paper like layer(s)
that is the cambium
when you see white,that is the actuall wood or the bows back 

[crooketarrow]

   No pics but almost the same as sailordads. The other I stained the cambium darked than the white wood. I can't see leaveing it on thin and broken up would make a difference in preformance. Like I said never left it on as a thick backing.