Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Scottski on September 12, 2013, 01:03:49 am

Title: Hickory question?
Post by: Scottski on September 12, 2013, 01:03:49 am
Ok my young neighbor saw my second oak bow and started shooting it with me. He is hooked on shooting now and wants me to make him a bow. He works for a cabinet shop and brought me two 9 ft hickory boards home they are 2 in wide. So my question is, what would you do to one of these boards to make a bow?
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: Pat B on September 12, 2013, 01:24:56 am
It all depends on the grain both on the back and along the sides. Check out George Tsoukalas' website. You can see it at the top of the "How To" thread.
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: huisme on September 12, 2013, 01:26:10 am
Trap it and make a flatbow or mollegabet, though I suggest you get a few more bows under your belt before you go mollegabet. Someone will chime in with dimensions sooner than later; sorry I don't have any ready to paste for you  ::)
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: twisted hickory on September 12, 2013, 07:56:07 am
Do a pyramid style bow. Start at fade 2" wide and down to .5" tips 66ntn long.
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: Buckeye Guy on September 12, 2013, 08:22:01 am
How young is this friend !
Give us a draw length and weight you think you are looking for !
Start looking over the boards and study the grain run outs !
Hickory is tough stuff so you can get away with more issues than most woods !
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: Wooden Spring on September 12, 2013, 09:02:49 am
Do a pyramid style bow. Start at fade 2" wide and down to .5" tips 66ntn long.

I second that. Those dimensions should yield a bow around 35# to 40# if you keep the thickness at 1/2" throughout the limb length. I've made a bunch to those dimensions out of red oak boards, and hickory tends to be a bit stiffer. If you want it a bit stronger still, then keep the width and thickness dimensions, but cut it down to 62" long.
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: Wooden Spring on September 12, 2013, 09:10:47 am
Here's what I mean... Excuse an ex-architect for using dimensions, but its how I think, and I've been building enough pyramid bows here lately to know that it works. Here's my disclaimer though: Yeah, every wood is different, and you'll have some differences given grain orientation and how you work it into a bow, but if you end up with something like this, then you'll have around a 35-40 pounder with hickory. Oak is a little less. This example turned out to be 34# with a beautiful oak board. Your hickory will obviously be a tad heavier. Like I said earlier, if you want it heavier, keep the same dimensions, but cut the length to 62"
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: Scottski on September 12, 2013, 10:55:07 am
He is 25 or 26 maybe. Looking for around 35 or 40 lbs. just something he can play around with. If he wants to hunt with it needs to be at least 35. Arkansas dropped the weight down this year. I have an old fg recurve he fell in love with and is ok shot at around 12 yards. This is his first time shooting bows. His draw is 25  recurve is 50 lbs at 28 he is sore and wants to shoot again this afternoon. I also gave him a tomahawk and he loves to throw it too. The boy is hooked lol!
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: Buckeye Guy on September 12, 2013, 01:12:28 pm
The pyramid design would be a easy and quick build to get him going !
He is shooting around 40 lbs now so lots of types are open to you to choose from
maybe do a parallel at 1.5"out to 10 " from tips and then taper in to tip for the second one !
Have fun
Passing it on !!
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: toomanyknots on September 12, 2013, 04:20:24 pm
Here's what I mean... Excuse an ex-architect for using dimensions, but its how I think, and I've been building enough pyramid bows here lately to know that it works. Here's my disclaimer though: Yeah, every wood is different, and you'll have some differences given grain orientation and how you work it into a bow, but if you end up with something like this, then you'll have around a 35-40 pounder with hickory. Oak is a little less. This example turned out to be 34# with a beautiful oak board. Your hickory will obviously be a tad heavier. Like I said earlier, if you want it heavier, keep the same dimensions, but cut the length to 62"

Stanley, that is an awesome pyramid bow schematic, I totally am keeping this for reference, :).
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: Wooden Spring on September 12, 2013, 04:49:55 pm
Toomanyknots, here's another one that I created after I made a 60# bow out of a great piece of oak.
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: toomanyknots on September 12, 2013, 04:53:26 pm
Awesome, thank you! (click, save ... :) ). You did a great job on these!
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: Wooden Spring on September 12, 2013, 04:55:28 pm
Aeesome, thank you! (click, save ... :) ). You did a great job on these!

Thanks, but like I said, as an ex-architect, it's just how my brain works. I'm just glad that someone can use them!
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: Scottski on September 12, 2013, 06:23:06 pm
Thanks a lot I will use this. Thank you again.
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: twisted hickory on September 12, 2013, 09:53:48 pm
Here's what I mean... Excuse an ex-architect for using dimensions, but its how I think, and I've been building enough pyramid bows here lately to know that it works. Here's my disclaimer though: Yeah, every wood is different, and you'll have some differences given grain orientation and how you work it into a bow, but if you end up with something like this, then you'll have around a 35-40 pounder with hickory. Oak is a little less. This example turned out to be 34# with a beautiful oak board. Your hickory will obviously be a tad heavier. Like I said earlier, if you want it heavier, keep the same dimensions, but cut the length to 62"
Good plan. I do prefer a 66ntn so if ya go 5/8 you will end up close to 50-55 if 5/8 is your finished thickness. Assuming the piece of wood is the same as the log I made mine out of.
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: Wooden Spring on September 13, 2013, 08:47:05 am
Here's what I mean... Excuse an ex-architect for using dimensions, but its how I think, and I've been building enough pyramid bows here lately to know that it works. Here's my disclaimer though: Yeah, every wood is different, and you'll have some differences given grain orientation and how you work it into a bow, but if you end up with something like this, then you'll have around a 35-40 pounder with hickory. Oak is a little less. This example turned out to be 34# with a beautiful oak board. Your hickory will obviously be a tad heavier. Like I said earlier, if you want it heavier, keep the same dimensions, but cut the length to 62"
Good plan. I do prefer a 66ntn so if ya go 5/8 you will end up close to 50-55 if 5/8 is your finished thickness. Assuming the piece of wood is the same as the log I made mine out of.

So you taper the thickness from 5/8 at the fades to 1/2 at the tips with a pyramid bow?
Title: Re: Hickory question?
Post by: twisted hickory on September 13, 2013, 05:30:57 pm
Here's what I mean... Excuse an ex-architect for using dimensions, but its how I think, and I've been building enough pyramid bows here lately to know that it works. Here's my disclaimer though: Yeah, every wood is different, and you'll have some differences given grain orientation and how you work it into a bow, but if you end up with something like this, then you'll have around a 35-40 pounder with hickory. Oak is a little less. This example turned out to be 34# with a beautiful oak board. Your hickory will obviously be a tad heavier. Like I said earlier, if you want it heavier, keep the same dimensions, but cut the length to 62"
Good plan. I do prefer a 66ntn so if ya go 5/8 you will end up close to 50-55 if 5/8 is your finished thickness. Assuming the piece of wood is the same as the log I made mine out of.

So you taper the thickness from 5/8 at the fades to 1/2 at the tips with a pyramid bow?
No,
5/8 the entire length is your starting point for thickness for floor tiller, if the bow feels a little stiff shave it down some from there. I like extra wood as it is easier to take wood off than put it on :) I don't have a pair of mics but they end up being consistent thickness the entire length of about 5/8 for 55/60 lb bow.