birthday present

[JW_Halverson]

Aaaah, mulberry my most hated/loved woods!  Loved because you can chase a ring, it is beautiful and strong. Hated because every stave I ever had was plumb infested with clusters of pin knots and I had limited experience. 

Take your time chasing a flawless ring and treat like you would osage. Just give yourself an extra quarter to three-eighths inch width and an inch or two extra length.  Dry mulberry responds to dry heat or steam.  I would recommend you double coat it with shellac if you are going to steam dry mulberry, though. You can later scrape off the shellac with a sharp knife, sand it off with sandpaper, or wash it off with an alcohol soaked rag.  But the shellac will be a little insurance against the light checking that can come with steam and dry wood.

The hackberry stave with the bark on looks as if it will have some character.  How in love with it are you?  Hmmmm?  Hmmm?

[paulc]

Not touched either yet except to put them in the rafters...I have read good things about both woods.  Hopefully I can get something out of them beyond a learning experience.

Peace

[paulc]

Morning All, latest pics of my hickory stave.  Not sure of my next step...move tips over by shaping to get them lined up better?  Or should I try to bend the bow at handle to get the tips lined up?  The bow is not only bent side to side but also twists in one limb.  When I attempt to draw it, it wants to roll in my hand.  And I have plenty of wood left; the tips are at least 3/4" and the limbs barely bend.  Lots of wood to remove...thanks for the help.

Paul

[paulc]

two more pics.

Thanks!

[DC]

Steam bend it in the handle. Don't worry about that bit of twist. The rotating in your hand is caused by the string misalignment. A caveat here. I have no experience with hickory so dry heat may work to bend the handle. Wait for more input.

[Pappy]

I usually use dry heat to straighten Hickory, steam will work also but if it is close to bow size I rub with cooking oil and heat. Most white wood stave's will bend like that if they are split to narrow and green and left unattended to dry. I guess when people are selling them they try to get all they can out of them. When I cut them I leave in at least 1/4 log or maybe 1/2 depending on size of the tree for at least a few months before splitting to stave size. I also cut in spring or summer so the bark just peels off , so no violation of the back. Guess if you are buying them green on line you may want to buy them in the summer. Chasing a ring on Hickory is sometimes pretty tough, but it is tough wood and will stand a little violation as long as it isn't off the edge. Good luck with that one, looks like it will make a bow.
 Pappy

[ohma2]

You can take the tips down some more and follow EDS advice on the the bible pic.i bent alot of wood using that method.

[paulc]

Pappy, can you talk a bit more about process using cooking oil and dry heat? How hot am I making the bow? I dont want to toast it right?

Also, any tips on chasing a ring on hickory? This back was definitely violated at least a little. I only scrapped the back enough to get rid of gouges, tried to scrape full length of back but gave up finding/chasing a ring.  Does rubbing w alcohol or an oil or something bring out the contrast between rings?

Thanks all! Enjoy the holiday week.

Paul