What is the deal with hickory in compression, seriously?

[sleek]

I have made a few hickory bows in the past and am making one right now. I have noticed that on my one flat bow, I got a bunch of set. It had a flat back and belly, not trapped, made from a board.  I get less set when I use ax handles using the curve of the handle for the high crown on the back. With the high back crown, and a flat belly, I do get far less set. I will let you know how this one comes out if your interested...

[lostarrow]

Sounds like it's being set straight. Like any wood, you have to design for it's properties ,and where it will be used. I've heard it's no good in humid areas, but heat treating should take care of most of that. Try one or two,and if it works for you, post the results with your thoughts. It all comes down to reading other's opinions, taking them under advisement, weeding out what works for you and being respectful  if you respond. Good luck with your experiments.Imho, you wont likely set any performance record with Hickory, but if designed well ,you will have a good ,durable, long lasting bow, that probably shoots as fast as any other white wood.

[gpw]

  Best luck we’ve had with an all Hickory bow is to pull in as much as 4” of Perry reflex and back it with another strip of hickory .... That way, when it takes a set , and it will in our wet climate , the bow ends up perfectly straight and a good shooter... Just sayin’... we all don’t live in the desert  ...

[PeteC]

Hickory is an excellent bow wood... I can tell you I have had certain trees that wont handle heat-treating as well as others,and the only hickory I have had problems with compression fractures was heat-treated. I  believe it goes back to the bowyers adage that "all trees are not created equal".Try another one.   JMHO   God Bless

[nineworlds9]

As a bowyering noob this has to be one of the best threads I've read on here lately.  Open minded everyone discussing point counterpoint.  Kudos. 

[RyanY]

I've made a lot of hickory bows and I don't see that its weak in compression. I think what happens more often is that its either not dry enough or the design isn't good for the wood. When the design is bad hickory will often show it in set before breaking. I've made plenty of hickory bows with no set and have had many even retain quite a bit of reflex. It's rarely the wood that's the problem...

[sleek]

Ryoon, what designs have you used to get those results? I am making a semi parallel inner limb that then tapers to pyramid design right now. I have had luck with this in the past, but never without 2 inches of set, from its original straight profile.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I've made a lot of hickory bows and I don't see that its weak in compression. I think what happens more often is that its either not dry enough or the design isn't good for the wood. When the design is bad hickory will often show it in set before breaking. I've made plenty of hickory bows with no set and have had many even retain quite a bit of reflex. It's rarely the wood that's the problem...

Yah, a few hickory bows, like a WHOLE tree's worth!

[DavidV]

You know, I've been thinking about something... since hickory's tension strength overpowers it's compression strength, what would happen if it was backed with something like maple?

[BOWMAN53]

If anyone has a problem with the hickory they have, you can just send it to me. I love hickory, I've only broken one bow so far and it was ash. Hickory has been very good to me and I've never had a problem with compression. My flat bow was 1 1/4" wide mid limb, with some heat treating it only took 1" of set after allot allot of shooting.

[RyanY]

sleek, I think I've made about every kind of design from 120# warbows to 48" native american wide limb flatbows and everything in between.

[toomanyknots]

Thank you for all the input everybody, it is very much appreciated! Good point Rich! Good points all around!

[H Rhodes]

I live in the hot humid south and have made bows from hickory and it's cousin pecan and am quite pleased with it overall.  I keep my bows indoors with the central air and have not had any problems with it. I trap the back and do a little heat treating and they shoot great with little to no string follow.  I don't know how they would do if I left them in the truck of a car on an August afternoon.....  I doubt anything would enjoy that.  I believe Carson brought up the disparity within the different varieties of hickory and I agree.  With that said, I have never picked up a stave of any species that wasn't just a little different from the last one.  You got a make a bow out of it and form your own opinion.  I'm in agreement with Halfeye about how much blood has been shed with hickory bows throughout the south for the last thousand years or so.  It's good bow wood. I think if a hickory bow lets you down, it's probably more to do with the bowyer than the wood.

[Christian Soldier]

I'm not really an expierienced bow but what expierience I do have is predominantly hickory.

Its some tough wood. Very versatile, Very hard to break, and a great bow wood IMO.

As others said, season it well. It tends to hang on to moisture but if you season it well and seal it after its done, you'll have a great long lasting bow.

[Prarie Bowyer]

Ok so here is a question. 

What kind of designs are best for Hickory, Osage, Mullberry and Ipe?  I just make bows and hope for the best while choosing woods that help make it as fool proof as possible. 

One of my favorite shooting bamboo backed hickory bows was a board  is 1 1/16 wide at the fades and tapers to 1/2" for a 68" TtoT bow.

How do you tell what designs are best for a wood based on what? 

My other favorite hickory bow is a 48" shortie recurve that I made for shooting from a kayak.  Hasen't taken any set and I've taken it out several times for a day of shooting.  Only draw to my armpit.