Author Topic: flawless backing a-long (Read 3396 times)

upstatenybowyer · « **on:** July 21, 2019, 05:28:22 pm »

I've never seen anyone do this, so I thought I'd share (I'm sure someone has, I just haven't seen it).

Of all the hard backings I've tried, nothing beats this IMO. Granted, you have to have access to a pipe-straight hickory tree at least 8" in diameter, but if you do, I highly recommend trying this...

I fell the tree, and cut the clearest 7' section there is. Then, I go around the outside of the tree lengthwise with a chainsaw, removing the outermost inch of wood (you end up with about 4 or 5 potential backings and a log with a quadrahedral or pentahedral cross section). Then I pull off the bark.

The rest is done with the jointer, bandsaw, and belt sander.

SLIMBOB · « **Reply #1 on:** July 21, 2019, 06:19:07 pm »

I don’t do many with a hard backer, but I’ll be watching with interest! Been thinking about doing one and need some “learnin”.

Bayou Ben · « **Reply #2 on:** July 22, 2019, 06:34:27 am »

Nice Jeff. This should be interesting and helpful.
I'm a little confused about the chainsaw cuts. Wouldn't cutting the outermost 1" of wood remove the bark?

PatM · « **Reply #3 on:** July 22, 2019, 07:19:20 am »

I often do this but generally only use smaller trees. A single growth ring backing is hard to beat and makes a bow look a bit more like a natural one piece stave

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #4 on:** July 22, 2019, 09:59:16 am »

Ben, what I do with the chainsaw is cut lengthwise, all the way down the 7' log, essentially "flatsawing" the outermost growth ring and an inch or so beneath it off with the bark still on. The bark could be removed beforehand. I think of it kinda like "peeling" the outside of a carrot, except it's a tree and the chainsaw is the peeler. The backing will be the outermost growth ring, just under the cambium. The larger the tree, the less of a crown you'll have on your backing.

That's awesome to hear you've done this Pat. I've always been tempted to try it with a smaller tree, but I've been afraid the crown will be too high and overpower the belly wood. How small a diameter have you tried? I also love that natural look.

Bayou Ben · « **Reply #5 on:** July 22, 2019, 11:21:28 am »

Oh I got you now.

. Almost like a very thin stave.

PatM · « **Reply #6 on:** July 22, 2019, 01:48:00 pm »

Quote from: upstatenybowyer on July 22, 2019, 09:59:16 am

Ben, what I do with the chainsaw is cut lengthwise, all the way down the 7' log, essentially "flatsawing" the outermost growth ring and an inch or so beneath it off with the bark still on. The bark could be removed beforehand. I think of it kinda like "peeling" the outside of a carrot, except it's a tree and the chainsaw is the peeler. The backing will be the outermost growth ring, just under the cambium. The larger the tree, the less of a crown you'll have on your backing.

That's awesome to hear you've done this Pat. I've always been tempted to try it with a smaller tree, but I've been afraid the crown will be too high and overpower the belly wood. How small a diameter have you tried? I also love that natural look.

I don't try for too small. A tree of about three inches of a slight oval shape is good for two with a lower crown.
I generally just split out staves and then reduce them.

A crowned one can just be paired with a more compression strong belly.

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #7 on:** July 22, 2019, 02:03:36 pm »

That makes a lot of sense Pat, thanks.

Lot's to consider given that different species have different cross-section shapes (circular to oval) and of course there's variation within species as well.

So here goes a more detailed blow by blow...

Here is a pic of the log after a "peel" followed by one showing the "peeled" off section that will become the backing:

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #8 on:** July 22, 2019, 02:04:43 pm »

then I get the sides as parallel as I can with the chainsaw:

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #9 on:** July 22, 2019, 02:05:46 pm »

next, I go to the jointer to get one side perfectly straight:

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #10 on:** July 22, 2019, 02:07:05 pm »

then I go to the bandsaw with the fence set to give me close to the width I want:

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #11 on:** July 22, 2019, 02:08:08 pm »

then back to the jointer to get two perfectly parallel sides:

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #12 on:** July 22, 2019, 02:11:27 pm »

then back to the bandsaw where I carefully even out the thickness "freehand" (without the fence) so the backing can bend enough to go through again with the fence:

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #13 on:** July 22, 2019, 02:13:39 pm »

now I rip through against the fence, applying continual pressure against it to get the backing to as even a thickness as possible (a little over 1/8"):