Hickory heart wood for longbows?

[Prarie Bowyer]

Anybody have any experience with Hickory heart wood as a Belly material for longer bows?

[twisted hickory]

I have made a 50 inch kids bow that is made out of heart wood. The bow shoots fast for a kinda bow. I haven't chronod it but it is a shooter.i started on one for myself but I dried it too fast and it cracked.
Chasing a ring on a piece of hickory is a pain. Ya won't need your draw knife. The growth rings are only about a mm thick.

[BOWMAN53]

DUDE!!! I just made one today lol. Just got done heat treating it. I did shoot it a few times and it shoot great. 66" long 1 1/4" wide bend through the handle. 50# @27" its sapwood back with heart wood belly.

[ionicmuffin]

interestingly enough, the one i made of hickory happens to be very thick ringed, i think part of this has to do with the species of hickory you wind up working with.

[k-hat]

Haven't noticed any difference between heart/sap wood on hickory.  I've made a few calico bows that had both and they just look purty

[crooketarrow]

  You don't have to chase a ring with HICKORY. I'll bet it was a pain. I use the ring right under the bark. If you heat heart wood becarefull it's easy made brittle. I prefer white wood but have made a few with just heart wood alot  combo.

[twisted hickory]

Crooket,
To get to the heart wood of a 25 inch piece of hickory you do. It was a real pain took like 4 hours. BTW I wont do it any more. High quality hickory is as common here as flies on crap.
Greg

[Nashoba]

I have never had any trouble with hickory heart wood whether it be on the belly or the back. Personally I prefer the more mature wood on the outer rings over the juvenile wood in the center, but I honestly could not tell you the difference in hickory.

[Gus]

This sounds like an interesting thread...

-gus

[Prarie Bowyer]

DUDE!!! I just made one today lol. Just got done heat treating it. I did shoot it a few times and it shoot great. 66" long 1 1/4" wide bend through the handle. 50# @27" its sapwood back with heart wood belly.

Pics?

[Prarie Bowyer]

So then hicklory heart wood makes a fine belly.  How is it as a backing?  I had read/heard that you definately only want the sap wood for that?

[BOWMAN53]

Ill see if i can post a link to the pics. Yeah sap wood is much better in tension.

[BOWMAN53]

http://m1287.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/jamesbowyer89/20130317_191722_zpsb0e80c4a.jpg.html?o=2

Idk if you can see the contrast of heart and sap in this pic or not.
http://m1287.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/jamesbowyer89/20130321_095950_zpse66576cb.jpg.html?o=3

http://m1287.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/jamesbowyer89/20130321_095818_zps594a172f.jpg.html?o=1

http://m1287.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/jamesbowyer89/20130321_095718_zps6fabc5d9.jpg.html?o=0

[mikekeswick]

Sapwood may be the ideal for a backing but heartwood works just fine. I've done about 15 or so with heartwood backings and no problems at all.
I haven't used heartwood for bellies so I dunno!