Hickory Eastern Woodlands Style

[autologus]

Great bow, I love the Eastern Woodlands style bows they are my favorite.  I know what you mean about humidity summers in Arkansas are very commonly 95+ degrees with 90%+ humidity.

[Parnell]

Very little wrong with that bow and from the unbraced picture, the "set" doesn't look bad at all.  Did you heat treat the bows belly?
If you didn't it'll help hickory out A LOT here in the south.  I live in S. Florida so I understand humidity all too well.  I've made several hickory bows.  They perform better in the winter than the summer but they are always serviceable bows that can be depended on.  And yes, if I keep them inside they are better off.
I'd agree that the tiller should be a little stiffer in the middle, but hey, it isn't bad.  You've got a shooter and that's what counts.
Well done and I hope to see more of what you make.  This type of bow is my favorite, also.  Good work!

[Dictionary]

They are my favorite as well Autologus

Parnell- I havent tried heat treating as of yet to any bows. The heat gun right now is just for arrow shafts. I am planning on it in the future though as you are right, it would help a great deal down here.

Cameroo- i'd like to see someone replicate a bow out of the eastern woodlands section. I try to imagine them making bows with stone tools. I'd imagine they wouldn't cut a tree larger than what would give them 2 staves. Worked while green, then left to dry for a few months. One day maybe when i learn more about this primitive work, i will try to do it as they once did.

Thank you Pappy, cornus, and Knapper.

hrhodes- Im curious myself what it will do 

I'll try to get some pictures up of the arrows i've made. But they arent anything special honestly. Im working on some HHB currently.

[Canoe]

Howdy Dictionary,

Very nice, simple bow...  Sweet.


Are you from AL?  Is that correct?

You mentioned that you are collecting some hop hornbeam?  As far as I know, that only grows in the northern most U.S., like northern WI and MI.  I hope you are not putting a lot of effort in collecting some wood that you think is HHB. 

All the Best,
Canoe

[Dictionary]

Howdy Dictionary,

Very nice, simple bow...  Sweet.


Are you from AL?  Is that correct?

You mentioned that you are collecting some hop hornbeam?  As far as I know, that only grows in the northern most U.S., like northern WI and MI.  I hope you are not putting a lot of effort in collecting some wood that you think is HHB. 

All the Best,
Canoe

Birmingham, AL

Yeah in regards to the wood identification. I have done some searching online and through my terrible field guide and it appears to be HHB. Is there another wood that has similar bark and leaves that grows down here that you can think of? Im terrible at tree identification honestly. It took me forever to figure out what hickory looked like.

Bark looks similar to this, although not quite as dark but more of a brownish color and flaky in a similar way.

[Canoe]

Howdy Dictionary,

Again, my compliments to you on your bow - very nice.

Here is a link, from the Ohio DNR, with a good description of HHB.  I hope you find it helpful.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/home/trees/hophorn_am/tabid/5377/default.aspx

Note, "American Hophornbeam has leaves that are alternate, elliptical, doubly serrated, with prominent veins and a drawn-out tip."


All the best to you and your bow building,
Canoe

[H Rhodes]

I am with Parnell on the heat treating of hickory....  a good toasting will really help it along.
 
  We do have HHB here in Alabama.  It is sort of scattered in it's range, but I find a fair amount of it around here and I am well south of Dictionary. 

[Dictionary]

i dont recall seeing the catkins on this wood around here thats in that link Canoe, but the leaves fit the bill. To be honest, a lot of tree's leaves look just like that to me haha. It can be difficult for me to identify these woods around here. I take my sister's car, drive to the nearby woods behind a soccer field and cut my wood there. I then throw them in the car and get outta there as quick as possible. I'll need to take a better look at this tree i'm identifying as HHB. Even if it isnt, im still going to give it a go, as it grows quite a lot around here.


Also going to hold off on the postings of the arrows. I was out shooting today and broke all of my bone heads and lost like 2 arrows. Im down to 4 now. Pretty ridiculous really. Still learning....alot to learn. This bow has quite a bit of finger pinch as well. My fingers began to hurt after a few shots. I kept shooting and have a callus on my ring finger. I need to alter my release i suppose.

[H Rhodes]

Search "Trees of Alabama and the Southeast" - a website that Auburn University has up.  It has some good pics of hophornbeam, and most other common trees in our area.  I have been meaning to try HHB myself, but haven't gotten around to it yet.  Let me know how it turns out.    It might could be mistaken for elm, but if it is sort of scaly bark it is HHB.

  Arrows are a whole other ballgame, huh?  A fellow asked me to make him a bow the other day and asked me how much I would charge.  I told him and then he said,  "make me three or four of those arrows too....."   I thought about it for a bit and told him I would have to charge him more for the arrows than I would for the bow!

[JW_Halverson]

... then he said,  "make me three or four of those arrows too....."   I thought about it for a bit and told him I would have to charge him more for the arrows than I would for the bow!

It takes me just as long to make a good set of arrows as it does to make a bow.  I just gave up and ordered a dozen from 3Rivers for a bow I'm doing for a Christmas present.  Pert near $90 with shipping divided with the rest of the order and I call it a bargain!  I hates to make arra's!