hickory stave and worm holes

[eorr]

Hey folks.  I've been lurking awhile soaking up all the great info here, so I'll go ahead and introduce myself before I post my questions.  I live in Northeast GA in Rabun County.  I see there are a few folks on here who live in this region, and I'm looking forward to getting to know yall.  I've been into primitive skills for about 15 years and am really interested in making bows, but I've never finished one.  I'm bad about starting something and hiding it when it starts to get tricky.

So I have this hickory bow I started probably 10 or 12 years ago but never got to the tillering part.  It was stored in the loft of a barn for a few years and I pulled it out recently thinking I may try to finish it.  There are a few tiny little holes in the back of the bow that appear to be from worms or something.  There are maybe 8 or 10 of them scattered across both limbs and they're about the size of a pinhead.  But it looks like they are no more than one growth ring deep.  The rest of the wood appears to be perfectly sound.  Could I fill them with super glue or something, or should I back the bow?

Also, how wide should I make my nocks?  I figure I'll try to end up with 2" limbs fading somewhere after mid-limb.  Thanks for any input! -Eric

[Grunt]

I think you are going to find that your stave in invaded. I have been working wood for about thirty years and my experiance with Hickory is that the bugs like the sapwood. I think you will find that your Hickory will be brittle cause them little critters seem eat the glue that holds the cells together. Take a air compressor and hit the holes with a burst and see if you have white powder coming out. If you do move on to other wood.

[Eric Krewson]

Little worm holes are bad,you never know which direction they will go. Here is what happend to the last bow I tried to make with worm holes.

[El Destructo]

Little Holes can mean Powderpost Beetles....and they will totally destroy a Stave....and from the Outside it will only look like Minimal Invasions......they don't tunnel in Straight....so the Damage looks to be a Non-Issue....when in fact ...they have Tunneled the whole piece out already....Take it to a Concrete Slab....and bang it really good on one end....and see how much dust comes out of it....and listen to the sound it makes as it makes contact with the Slab....This Summer I had some that when hit....just made a hollow clacking sound when I banged them...and they rained down sawdust too....Bad little Critters....they will invade your whole Stash of Staves if not treated

[eorr]

Crap.  Ah well, glad I asked before breaking a bow.  I was looking forward to not having to chase a ring on my 1st bow, but I have a good locust stave I can start on.  Thanks for the info guys.

[Pat B]

White woods especially are very susceptible to powder post beetles if not stored properly. Storing it in the rafters is a way to keep it dry and let it season but there are other factors(insect and disease control) that come into effect.
  Trying to make a bow without having to chase a ring, to me, is like taking a TV dinner out of the freezer for supper. It will fill your belly but you won't get much more out of it in terms of nutrition or experience. Chasing a ring is one of the first things one should take on(when possible) when learning to make a wood bow. It teaches you the properties and the feel of the wood, it teaches you the use of the tools needed to build a wood bow and most of all, it teaches you patience. Looking at it as a daunting task will only add a negative aspect to the process and negativity leads to failure.
   If you revel in the journey and not just the destination it will make the process more pleasant and will help you become a successful bowyer...maybe not this bow but bow building in general. I prefer to have my glass half full.

[El Destructo]

Pat ....I didn't know that they had Guru's in the Hills of North Carorlina.....

[eorr]

I have a lot of experience with a drawknife and spokeshave... I've made a bunch of tool handles, tipi pegs, tipi poles, spoons, bowls and various other primitive tools.  But now I'm lacking a shaving horse and a vice, so I was hoping to get by with an axe and rasp and scraper.  This is a good excuse to get a shaving horse made.

[El Destructo]

Make Me one while you are at it.......... ....I am in need of one too! My Vise and Bench are alright...but just not as Mobile as a Coopers Bench is...and when it gets cooler ...I like to go outside and work instead of being cooped up in the Garage..

[Pat B]

Eorr, as an accomplished wood worker I'm sure you appreciate and value the process from beginning to end. There are ways to lessen the tedious processes of making wood bows like using a band saw or a hatchet to remove bulk wood and bark and removing or reducing the sapwood. Try to get a cleanly chased back ring with a band saw. The tedious work with a drawknife and scraper is the most effective way to accomplish this.
  One reason I began to build wood bows(starting in the late 80s) was to get back close to the roots of archery. Granted I am still using modern tools and methods but that is changing somewhat too. I enjoy the entire process and feel a real sense of accomplishment when I have completed a simple but viable hunting weapon. This sense of accomplishment is what keep me interested in wood bow making.
  A "coopers" bench,"bowyers" bench or draw horse, whatever you want to call it is not necessary to build a wood bow but it sure makes life easier. Check out some of Jamie Leffler's build alongs where he is using only primitive tools. He uses a piece of cordage attached to the bow stave and his foot to secure the stave to be able to work on it. He has proven over and over again that it can be done and has also proved that viable hunting bows can be made without the use of modern tools. I personally find it very difficult in these modern times to be able to think or work primitively but that is my ultimate goal and eventually, with lots of hard, tedious work and many failures I will accomplish this task or at least be satisfied with what I have achieved in the end. 
  Please don't take this as a scolding. Just my thoughts on the matter!

[eorr]

Hey Pat, thanks for the info.  I definitely don't take it as scolding.  I'm a fair woodworker but a complete newbie to bow making, so I'll take any advice I can get.  And I'm not above using a bandsaw.  I used to have a pretty decent shop set up with a band saw,  but I moved into an 800 sq. ft. house with no flat land to build a shop.  So my band saw in on indefinite loan to a buddy about 3 hours south.  When I got into primitive skills and woodworking I was adamant about doing everything the old way, but I gradually developed an appreciation for the evolution of technology.    I'll check out those build-alongs.  Sounds like a good way to get on with a bow until I can get my horse built.