Breaking a hackberry longbow to show tension strength...

[toomanyknots]

I screwed up putting the horn nocks on this one, so I got frustrated and took it out on the innocent bow! I thought I could demonstrate how much bend hackberry will take before breaking instead of just pitching it the wood pile...   Here's the link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd2Yg0qI9RA&feature=youtu.be Also to note I guess, is how whippy / non-bending the middle of my bow is. Looked good on the tree, probably wasn't working at all though.





EDIT: I would of tried on the tiller tree, but mine only goes to 32" right now and I have never got a hackberry longbow to break that way for me.

[Weylin]

That looks like a good way to earn a trip to the ER. 

[Dauntless]

You popped some serious splinters there...

Looks like hackberry is quite tension strong. How heavy was that bow before you sacrificed it?

[RyanY]

Didn't it break in tension before compression? I'm impressed by how much it bent before breaking. The bend is really even so I'm sure it had a nice even tiller. I agree that it looks severely whip tillered.

[Dauntless]

It took a lot of set before breaking, I'm sure there are some pretty serious chrysals on that short bend.

[oldhippy]

   Dude, you are one sick puppy

[Badger]

  Hackberry is the most bendable of all american woods. If you steam hackberry you can do some unbelievable things with it.

[coaster500]

Knots you almost added another one knot that is ....  that's some tough stuff...  it really is a great bow wood 

[DarkSoul]

Are you sure the wood is dry? The way it bends is amazing. I've only seen that with green wood, actually.

[toomanyknots]

You popped some serious splinters there...

Looks like hackberry is quite tension strong. How heavy was that bow before you sacrificed it?

About 65# maybe @ 28".

It took a lot of set before breaking, I'm sure there are some pretty serious chrysals on that short bend.

Actually, there isn't any at all. But it did take alot of set, hackberry ain't the best always in that department especially without even hotboxing it or nothing... Also to note, the back had big gashes across the back, where I got pissed and beat the thing with a rasp.
For some reason it didn't break across one of those though.

That looks like a good way to earn a trip to the ER. 

 

   Dude, you are one sick puppy

 

[toomanyknots]

Are you sure the wood is dry? The way it bends is amazing. I've only seen that with green wood, actually.

Been seasoning one year as a stave, maybe 4 or 5 months of that was in ready to floor tiller form.

I've only seen that with green wood, actually.

I agree. Sometime's it will take a little bit more set than other woods, like green wood would too, but if ya hotbox it, it does better. I throw the stuff in my van when it gets up to around 95 - 100 here all day, and the next day I will tiller. You can tell  the wood is cooking because you can smell it. Pearl Drums says that heat treating it works good also.

[okie64]

Cool pics and test there. Beatin on the back of the bow with your rasp though, Kinda sounds like you might have some anger management issues 

[toomanyknots]

Cool pics and test there. Beatin on the back of the bow with your rasp though, Kinda sounds like you might have some anger management issues 

LOL I'm just an idiot. I guess I am proof that cave men made bows. 

[soy]

You can tie it in a knot you can tie it in a bow you can brake over your shoulder .... boy that must suck getting mad at a bow i incorporate FIRE into my anger management 

[criveraville]

 

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