Hickory staves

[Adam Pinerun]

I cut down a hickory tree last night and split some staves out. How soon to debark and rough out a bow?

[Stick Bender]

I would get the bark off now if it was me ,it should peel like paper for you I shellac the back & ends right away , if your in a hurry for a bow let one set in side for about 2 weeks & then ruff a bow out & let it set inside 50 % RH for 2 months & you should be good to go ,in the first couple of weeks hickory loses a lot of moister I made one inside of 2 months off the stump but wished I had waited longer but I was like you in a hurry for a bow , others might have some other thoughts but that has worked for me , do you have a food scale you can weigh the stave while it's drying and when it stops losing weight for a couple of weeks it should be acclimated to your area,hickory can take a fair amount of set if worked to soon , keep us posted on how it goes for you !

[Pat B]

I have heard that you don't need to seal the back of a hickory stave once the bark it remover. That said, I seal the back of any newly exposed back no matter how long it has seasoned or not. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
 Stick Bender gives good advise as for the treatment from stump to bow.

[George Tsoukalas]

Immediately. You can remove the bark and rough out the bow. You could get the back ready by removing nocks and lightly sanding it. You could also stain it if you want and them seal it.
I've had some hickory develop drying cracks and some not.
More on my site.
Jawge
http://traditionalarchery101.com

[RBLusthaus]

If the bark slips, great, but I keep mine in stave form, inside, bark on, and I treat for bugs.  Get it off the ground asap and spray for bugs and you should be good to go.  Russ

[Stick Bender]

Summer cut hickory usaly just pulls right off its a dream to debark !

[ksnow]

I have heard that you don't need to seal the back of a hickory stave once the bark it remover. That said, I seal the back of any newly exposed back no matter how long it has seasoned or not. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
 Stick Bender gives good advise as for the treatment from stump to bow.

I agree with PatB.  I have never had hickory check on me, but if I have the shellac out to seal the ends, it doesn't take much more to seal the back.

And hickory is MUCH easier to work green.  Take the staves down to 2x2 form, and let them dry.

Kyle

[BowEd]

One benefit of shellacking the back of hickory I think has consequences is that when heat treating or bending I think the heat goes into the wood more thoroughly.Talking dry heat used while tillering and adjusting here.

[Adam Pinerun]

I got them roughed out and sealed. How long do they need to dry before I can reasonably expect good performance?

[ksnow]

Weigh them now.  Keep weighing them every week or so, when they stop losing weight they are ready to work.  Keep them somewhere dry while you work them, inside with AC or in a drying box.  Hickory takes a bit of extra work to get the moisture down to make a better bow, but it makes good bows.  I like to work hickory in the winter, when it is drier here in Wisconsin.

Kyle

[Stick Bender]

If you can get hold of a cheap RH gauge and keep them 50% RH or under about 2 months is a good bench mark & weigh them if no weight change for a couple of weeks you should be good ,hickory is much stronger in tension then compression if not worked dry you will not be happy with the results you could make a cheap hot box with a light bulb and a peace of dryer vent hose or duct but I would let them acclimate naturally for at least 2 weeks before force drying other wise it could cause checking shellacking the backs & ends will help preventing that.