hickory heartwood

[vahillbilly]

hey guys,
first post with a (probaby) stupid question.  I have picked up a few hickory board, but they seem to be mostly heartwood(dark).  Can I make bows from these, are are they firewood?

[Hickoryswitch]

I'm a newbie but I don't see why you couldn't if you backed them.  Especially if you backed them with a strip of hickory. Someone who knows more than me will be able to tell you more though.

[vahillbilly]

thanks HS, 
looking forward to replies.  Heartwood seems to leave "gaps" when I use rasps, etc.  hope it will work.

[Hickoryswitch]

I know the heart wood doesn't have the tension strength of sapwood. So I'm thinkin it wood likely splinter on the back without a backing.

[vahillbilly]

Since I already have the boards, maybe I should save it for tip overlays and handles.  Lots of tip overlays and handles.

[Hickoryswitch]

I'd wait and see what somebody more knowledgeable that me has to say before i gave up on em.

[radius]

check out "bowstick" on youtube...that guy has made a ton of short bow-making videos, and among them is one where he tests the strength of a hickory heartwood bow.  Yesterday I talked to him and the guy from rudderbows about this very question.  They both say heart wood is just fine, and they make lots of bows, so go for it bud.  And if you do have a strip (or can get or make a strip) of hickory sapwood, so much the better.  Floor tiller your heartwood board stave, and then glue the sapwood strip on the back in perry reflex.  You'll be glad you did.

perry reflex is when you glue the backing strip on with the bow BENT BACKWARDS in an even curve from tip to tip.

[George Tsoukalas]

The key to selecting a board of any wood is the straghtness of the grain and the absence of any impefections. More on my site. I agree hickory heartwood is fine. Jawge
http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html

[adb]

Yes, hickory heartwood is fine, for both self bows and backing strips. As George mentioned, it's all about picking the right wood.

[radius]

something weird is going on ... i know i posted in this thread last night, but it's not showing up....


Anyway, here's what i said:  go to youtube and search bowstick archery or hickory bows or something like that and you will find a whole sloo of short bowmaking videos...one of them is a test of hickory heartwood in which the heartwood stands up to pressure tests just fine.

[radius]

oh there it is...weird...

i have had no problems with bows up to 60# using hickory backing strips on which the grain went all over the place, not straight, not single ring, not edge ring:

random ring