Hickory longevity

[snedeker]

Before today, havn't posted in years.  But I go back to '03 on the board.   I have a hickory slat kiln dried in '05 thats been sitting around and I was thinking of backing it with bamboo, as I never did a boo backed hickory.  Think its dried out too much?
Dave

[JW_Halverson]

Probably not.  But I think it would be easier to start from fresh. 

You do need a new bow, right?

[Pat B]

Welcome back Dave. It's been a while. Glad to see you are still at it.
I'd say try working a piece and see if it is sound. If it has been kept in safe conditions I don't see why it shouldn't be OK

[Bayou Ben]

Welcome back.  I remember seeing your name when researching older post. 

I would say no.  The wood should have reached equilibrium at some point and stopped drying.  If the climate it was kept in was in the range for bow making, you should be ok.

I use this for reference....

[snedeker]

Thanks for the opinions.  It been in the shed.  I ask because I used a strip of same stuff, to back a short (56") osage project and broke in an early just off floor tiller gingerly test pull.  Might just have been one of those thing

I have a lot of bows I have been meaning to catch up on posting.   I make less now and break more.

[Bayou Ben]

Winter storms usually bring low humidity for us in the south.  20-30%. 
I know hickory can withstand lower MC than most, but wondering if it dropped too low?  Do you have a moisture meter or does the humidity drop really low in the winter where you are?

[Stick Bender]

I think it should be fine if it wasn't exsposed to direct moister I have some boards that have been in the rafters for 20 yrs or better they seem good to me , but really only one way to find out  I built this BBH a while back I was told it wasn't a good combo but I love the combo turned out to be a great bow !

[Eric Krewson]

Your wood is fine, depending on where you live your wood will stabilize at the MC average for your area. Hickory likes a low MC for the best performance, even 6% isn't too dry.

I have made several BB hickory bows, all were right up there in performance with BB osage bows. All were made from sub par solid hickory bows that I narrowed and backed with bamboo for other people. Essentially I used a somewhat worn out hickory core, backed it in a reflex, heat treated the hickory in some cases, retillered and made some mighty fine bows. All the original hickory bows were made by other people except one. This bow was my fifth when I had just started out and believe me it was "sub par".

Anybody who says BB hickory is a bad combination is probably a keyboard critic who has never actually made such a bow but is quick to offer an opinion like it is a fact.

[George Tsoukalas]

Welcome back, Dave. You never know  until you try.  Jawge

[snedeker]

Thanks for the Boo/Hick bow inspiration pic Bender.    I never have gotten a moisture meter by the way.

I recall the chapter on bow woods in Bowyers Bible I had some of the old lore about white woods deteriorating with age.