Hickory back

[BowEd]

Just a quick check on something I hav'nt tried yet here.Got a nice hickory stave that's very fine ringed.Pig nut I think.Bark was draw knifed off and it's violated here and there.It's tough stuff I know but maybe I should put a rawhide cover on it ya think?

[Pat B]

Ed, I.ve made lots of hickory backed bows with terrible grain violations and never had a back failure. That said I think I would use a rawhide backing on a hickory stave with grain violations. Don't ask me why. I know I'm contradicting myself.

[sapling bowyer]

I would go for it.  You never know when a bow will explode

[DarkSoul]

Post a picture to show the extend of the damage.

You may be just fine. Or you could chase a ring. Or you could apply a backing.

[bubby]

I'm with Pat Ed, if you have to ask back it and rawhide is a great medium for artwork

[Mo_coon-catcher]

If they're not bad violations you can probably get away with smoothingit out and feathering the violations so they spread over a bit of distance.

Kyle

[Springbuck]

  Fine grained ring porous wood is pretty easy to chase a ring on, too, usually.  Just use a scraper, not a cutting tool.

[BowEd]

Thanks fellas......It is a very fine grained thing.Intermittent grain violation swirls here and there.Be a real pain to chase one ring.The undulations and all make it that way.It'll take forever....lol.Guess I'm a wooos but so be it....lol.Feel as though it's like a decrowning job,and then I'd rawhide that.I know practically everyone has taken a piece of hickory and tried to break it for kindling and it'll take a terrific bend before breaking but I'm gonna go with my gut on this one.Could take it to brace though first with no big bending then heat treat it and then put the rawhide on.
I've got some really thin yearling dry scraped deer hide.Guess I could call it clarified deer skin.Maybe could stain it first with an alcohol dye then put the rawhide on.It's one of those reaction dried reflexed type staves.About 3 years old I guess.Got wrangled into this bow trade thing and got 4 bows getting ready for the string maybe more.

[Pappy]

I have done a ton of Hickory and yes it is tough  to break but not that tough to life a splinter, I would rawhide back it if it was mine.
 Pappy

[BowEd]

My thoughts exactly Pap.

[bradsmith2010]

yes the rawhide would be good and it looks nice too,, no way to go wrong putting it on,, adds a nice contrast to the hickory,,