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Author Topic: Some bow designs with hickory  (Read 8467 times)

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Offline kid bow

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Some bow designs with hickory
« on: July 21, 2014, 12:23:11 pm »
Ok so I know I'm asking about a subject with millions of different design possibilities and to each their own but there's a guy in my neiborhood whose father-in-law has a farm with nothing but hickory trees and oak trees. So he said he'd bring me all the hickory wood I could handle if I can build him a hunting bow from one of the logs he's bringing. This guys is a retired marine machine gunner,avid hunter and an extremely cool guy so I want to build the best bow possible for him that'll last a lifetime and still shoot great. Only limit he said was it's gotta be 4.5 feet no more. I was thinking about making a Cherokee "D" bow with some recurve in the tips but I don't know if that'll be fast enough for turkey and deer.  Any advice is great on this subject and is greatly appreciated. I'm still planning it so any advice is crucial while I'm planning it
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2014, 12:35:44 pm »
Draw length? Fast doesn't kill deer and turkeys, accuracy does.
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Offline kid bow

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2014, 12:40:21 pm »
28+ inches he's a pretty big guy
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2014, 12:51:49 pm »
That means you need to get 28" plus from a 52-53" ntn bow. I doubt the hickory will break, but it wont be a long lasting, durable bow being over drawn so far. Others opinions will vary.
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Offline Buckeye Guy

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2014, 01:07:38 pm »
Thats a tall order
You may want to decline his offer or ask him how much you owe him for the wood if he never gets his bow
The design your talking as not bad
after you reflex the tips deflex the handle so the tips are 1-2 inches behind the handle you may end up with a 8" or more brace height but that is what will end up happening any way so figure on it to start with rather than compressing it in ! a perfect tiller all the way from the center to the tips as every once of wood will have to pull its fair share of the weight!
Have fun
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Offline JonW

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2014, 01:24:18 pm »
Cut off an unusable piece of wood at 60" and let him handle it a bit. My bet is that he will think that length would be fine.
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2014, 01:27:02 pm »
It is possible to make a hunting weight bow that is 4.5 ft (54 inches) tip to tip.  You MUST be obsessive about flawless tiller even at the earliest stages of floor tiller.  You must be beyond OCD about following the grain and choosing wood that is as close to flawless as possible. 

And even then, the bow will likely have a very glorious and short life as a good shooting stick.  Set will set in pretty dang quick. 

1) Do what you can to get him to draw a similar weight bow in a realistic draw...not overdrawing like a hero in a movie at the climax of the battle scene!  Most draw lengths are not as long as people claim. Hope and pray for luck to be on your side...every bit shorter of the claimed 28" plays in YOUR favor.

2) Do what you can to fudge that nock to nock length up to 56" or longer.  Again, it plays in YOUR favor. 

3) Give it your all and post pics of the process.   
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Offline kid bow

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2014, 01:40:59 pm »
Ok this is very good advice thank you all. I'll try and make to longer so it'll live a bit longer and I have a little play room with it. I like your guys ideas. He hunts from a tree stand or a blind I believe is what he told me. Hopefully It won't get in the way to much if I make it longer. Anymore ideas and thoughts would be greatly helpful
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blackhawk

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2014, 01:43:12 pm »
I'll throw my two cents in for kicks n giggles, n stir the pot up....because I know it can be done,although not easy by any means..even for someone with a fair share of bows under there belt...BUT......

#1...you first need a perfect, flawless,99% clean,100% straight piece of wood that will allow 2"+ of width easily...

#2... I know of two designs best for this...either a bend in the handle R/D with short shrap static recurves..or the other which is similar...a bend in the handle R/D molly curve...and if he likes a beefier handle then build it up with cork....both are a tall order to not only make,but to be executed by the bowyer is prob the toughest part..and have the bow be a durable long lasting bow that is also not set ridden...

GOOD LUCK!!!!  I'd rather work at trying harder to convince him to make it longer IMO
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Offline kid bow

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #9 on: July 21, 2014, 01:49:30 pm »
I'm gunna talk to him about the length
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Offline Badger

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #10 on: July 21, 2014, 01:50:11 pm »
 1st question I would have is what state are you in. Hickory tends to take set with moisture and making a short hickory bow even exagerates this problem. Short bows are aslo hard to be accurate with and a short bow with low early draw weight that tends to stack makes it even harder to be accurate. I would go with a bend through the handle 2" wide most of the way down the limbs, taper the last 10" or so. Maybe narrow the handle area to about 1 3/8 for a slight bend. Slight recurves certainly would add to it as well.
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #11 on: July 21, 2014, 01:58:44 pm »
Tell him Jawge said it is too short. :) Jawge
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blackhawk

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #12 on: July 21, 2014, 02:00:17 pm »
Quote from: George Tsoukalas on July 21, 2014, 01:58:44 pm
Tell him Jawge said it is too short. :) Jawge

That's the best answer yet.... :laugh: even better than mine  ;)  :laugh:
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #13 on: July 21, 2014, 02:08:28 pm »
Leave it to Jawge to cut thru all the b.s. and tell it like it is!  LOL!
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Some bow designs with hickory
« Reply #14 on: July 21, 2014, 02:31:54 pm »
Quote from: George Tsoukalas on July 21, 2014, 01:58:44 pm
Tell him Jawge said it is too short. :) Jawge

I wanted to say that Jawgey poo, but I lost my lawyer hat this weekend and couldnt defend myself. So I left it open ended.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.
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