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Author Topic: limb-crack hickory bow  (Read 11506 times)

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Offline richardzane

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limb-crack hickory bow
« on: May 09, 2011, 10:44:16 pm »
the last message i tried here vanished ,I'll try again.
appreciate anyones suggestions.

made a 62 inch hickory long bow ,shot a hundred arrows probably,
and heard a crack (see pic.) coming from a tiny know hole.
was about 40# but it feels less now, and theres noticeable more hinging in the weakened area.
The hickory was cut on a low side of a west facing bluff,damper area, since it
misses morning sun,probably the rings are bigger.
should i be cutting hickory from higher and drier on the hills?

is it junk? or repairable? its always good to know how to make a repair.
is there any kind of epoxy and clamp fix i could try? or sinew?
 don't have any back sinew just some leg tendon.
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2011, 11:56:21 pm »
Sinew could hold it together but I wouldn't bother.  Best to just move on and make another.
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Offline mullet

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2011, 11:58:38 pm »
The size of the hole has nothing to do with that kind of crack. I'd make another bow.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2011, 07:58:43 pm by mullet »
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Offline Pappy

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2011, 07:39:05 am »
Sorry and I am sure you don't want to hear it,but I would make fire wood out of it and start another.
I have never noticed and difference on where Hickory was cut. :)
   Pappy
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Offline osage outlaw

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2011, 07:47:52 am »
Looks like a good reason to build another bow.  I would be afraid to string or pull that one back.  It could be bad if it lets go at full draw.
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Offline richardzane

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2011, 11:33:22 am »
well, it was my first
always need more kindling...and making more bows is a given,
got lots of choice material on our property ( NE Okl.)
I know cutting staves and arrow wood is for winter,
just hoping i could limp by so as not to be bowless for a year.
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Offline Mark Anderson

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2011, 12:08:24 pm »
Well I would make a nice dinner over that one and start again. And you don't have to wait till winter to get a bow going. I almost always cut a tree, split it and take one of the staves to near bow size and get it dry fast. In fact right now would be a great time to cut hickory because the bark will just slip right off.
I just cut down four Osage trees a month ago and though I'm letting most of the staves dry under my shed I already have one floor tillered and close to being dry enough to finish tillering. White woods like hickory are even better at drying quickly than Osage.
I say go cut some more and get her done!
Mark
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Offline Pat B

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2011, 12:39:20 pm »
I concur with the others, make another bow!
  Did you cut this tree your self? How was it cared for after cutting?  I have only rarely seen hickory crack across the grain and it was wood that had been infected with fungi.
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Offline Pappy

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2011, 12:58:25 pm »
Also I might add ,I would rather cut my Hickory in the spring or early summer,the bark will peel right off that time of year,then you can split it down to bow size and it will dry pretty quick. :)
   Pappy
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Offline cracker

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2011, 01:04:31 pm »
I second what Pappy said. If you wait till winter the hickory bark can be a booger to get off.
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Offline richardzane

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #10 on: May 10, 2011, 03:52:13 pm »
well you guys made my day,
i'm going to cut some hickory ..how about "the other white woods"  hackberry? white oak?

about caring for this hickory for the bow that cracked ...
 I cut an 8" dia in December, quartered it by splitting,
roughed out 3 useable staves, glued the ends, drawknifed the rough bark off, left the fine inner bark attached( the innerbark mesh-like see pic.)
also cut off the core off the wedges. Only one was really nice and free of most knots.
put em in in a closet for some months till they begin to arch back and felt dry. ..dry enough for sandpaper. no checking  whatsoever.
scraped that inner bark off with cabinet scraper.
I'm kind of puzzled, really thought hickory was the most forgiving.
it was a common bow wood of my Wyandot ancestors.
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #11 on: May 10, 2011, 06:08:50 pm »
There are a couple of other options that could save that bow without too much work.  One is a sinew patch, like patching an inner tube, I've used them several times and they work.  You have to prepare the surface very well and put down at least 2 courses extending past the crack by at least a couple of inches.  The other is a linen backing, not a material patch but linen thread laid down the whole bow.  I've done that before also using TB for a glue with good results.  Again surface prep is important
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Offline macbow

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #12 on: May 10, 2011, 10:40:33 pm »
That picture of you removing the bark will be a 1 minute job if you cut the hickory now and split it intyo staves. Like the other said the entire bark area will come off in one piece and expose the bows back.
Ron
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Offline richardzane

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2011, 12:14:43 am »
guess i had been led to believe that winter was bow cutting season.
is there any wood that NEEDS to be cut in winter?

yep, hickory bark comes off great this time of year,
its when we traditionally make bark objects. heres a good use for leftover hickory bark.
i just finished this old style traditional Wyandot hickory bark rattle,
some say these pre-dated the turtle shell rattle.

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when i'm working on things my ancestors worked, singing the songs my ancestors sang, dancing the same dances, speaking the same language, only then  I feel connected to the land, THIS land, where my ancestors walked for thousands of years...

Offline richardzane

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Re: limb-crack hickory bow
« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2011, 12:37:08 am »
oops ..dang it...i just read the rule book and the rattle maybe shouldn't be here,
sorry...y'all can chop it off if you want to since its not bow-related.

Marc you mentioned a patch using sinew
and "preparing the surface very well"... what would that preparation entail? burnishing it with a stone? or roughing it up a little?
My lengths of sinew i have are about 8 to 10 inches. would i lay sinew first down on the limb, and then wrap more accross?
I'm seeing the patch as just another challenge in the whole learnin process...( and well yeah, the bow did shoot really nice)
 but I'm already staking out the next hickories, and eyeing some VERY nice straight Kentucky Coffee Trees.
Anyone here mess with those? how about persimmon? got some real straight tall persimmons..messes of plum, hackberry...
I guess i'll have to try em all.

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when i'm working on things my ancestors worked, singing the songs my ancestors sang, dancing the same dances, speaking the same language, only then  I feel connected to the land, THIS land, where my ancestors walked for thousands of years...
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