Big hickory mistake

[Treelimb]

I've made a couple of red oak board bows and thought I'd try hickory.  As the heading implies, I botched up the hickory stave.  Thought I could use a draw knife on it like the red oak, but hickory was much harder and my knife bit into it and it peeled off a large chunk just like peeling a banana.  It also took a groove out of it deeper than I wanted to go and all this before tillering.  Before I go out and get another one, is this typical of working with hickory?  It was a lot harder to use a rasp on it as well. 

Treelimb

[Brock]

I was only able to use the draw knife for general cutting of the stave to shape...then I had to use it on edge to take off thin wisps of wood for a bit....then had to go to a heavy farriers rasp when I started getting close.  Wood is hard....took me frequent cleanings of rasp to get wood out of cuts....then 9-11 happened with it down about 80%.  I hope to finish it after deer season is over and use it for spring turkey.....but the going is much slower now than before.  I have a Dean Torges spoke shave I have never set up or sharpened....need to get it out and learn how to use it or continue with files I guess.

Good luck....maybe we both will have a hickory bow this Winter.

[JW_Halverson]

I have a strong preference for spokeshaves.  I've used and broken several Stanley's (don't drop 'em! and don't ask how I know).  Nowadays I use a Veritas spokeshave from Lee Valley Tools, costs about three times the Stanley, but the bed for the blade is milled to strict tollerences and it really resists chattering.  I was also able to get it in A2 steel.  When it's sharpened it holds an edge forever!

[sonny]

Treelimb, are you using your drawknife with the bevel facing up or down ??
I never use mine with the bevel up as they tend to dig in when used that way.
Try it with the bevel facing down and you'll have much better control.
 
 

[Treelimb]

Sonny,  I was using it bevel up.  As soon as I started pulling on it, it was too late.  Like I said I never experienced that with the red oak.  Lesson learned on that one.  Treelimb

[aznboi3644]

Only time I've used a draw knife bevel down was on the first log I debarked...stopped that after a few strokes and turned it over...cuts like butter and much more control.

Bevel side up has no control on the cut...bevel down you can control the angle of the dangle.

[JW_Halverson]

Works the same way when using a chisel.   But I still prefer my spokeshave.   

[Buckeye Guy]

Welcome to my world !!
Hickory is tough on steel tools so I usually sand it !
I know thats not what you wanted to hear but I'm to old to fight it anymore !
 If your eyes are still good you can pay close attention to grain and allways cut with it instead of against it then it will not split out on you!
The spokeshave or other tools that limit the bit they can take will help you to learn to read grain !
Have fun  !!
keep it simple  !
keep it fun !!
Guy