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Author Topic: shag bark hickory?  (Read 6131 times)

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Offline sadiejane

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shag bark hickory?
« on: May 22, 2011, 01:07:15 pm »
know lots of folks make bows outta hickory. but is the shag bark variety decent for bow wood? know where there s huge stand of smaller straight trees.
cant wander in the woods without seeing bows or arrows in ever tree or shrub....
this is just a small selection of all those shag bark in this particular area
« Last Edit: May 22, 2011, 01:14:39 pm by sadiejane »
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Offline AncientArcher76

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2011, 01:27:03 pm »
I happen to like it all though hickory in general isnt my favorite.  I prefer the HHB and Maple for some reason.... the shagbark takes a lot of set, but can still make a great bow that will be tough to break especially cutting through the rings.  On a side note the scraps are good for smoking meat! ::)

Russ
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Offline RyanY

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2011, 01:48:57 pm »
I've been using shag bark hickory for a ton of my bows as I cut a large one a little over a year ago. It's tough as nails. Haven't gotten one to break on me yet.  ;D
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Offline Pat B

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2011, 01:49:52 pm »
Hiockory is hickory!  Most folks can't tell the difference between them as bow staves. Hickory is very hygroscopic and absorbes moisture readily from the atmosphere so working with hickory you need to keep it as dry as possible. Keep it in your house with the A/C or in a hot box between work sessions and store the finished bow in a dry area. I don't think you can get hickory too dry in the Eastern US but if the humidity is high hickory gets mushy and slugish.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline sailordad

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2011, 01:50:37 pm »
hickory is hickory
use it,itll make fine bows
just make sure its good and dry and keep it that way while working on it before you stress it or it will take set

ok this will be attempt #3 at posting this
people keep adding as i type  :P
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2011, 02:02:17 pm »
Go for it Sadie. I have made lots of hickory bow and none have broke, set happens however.
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blackhawk

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2011, 02:22:07 pm »
Um....yup. shag hickory recurve selfbow.   Maintained a straight profile. Just keep the MC down in it.




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Offline sadiejane

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2011, 02:30:46 pm »
ok, heading back this afternoon and cut me a few of those little trees. seal em up and hang em up to dry...
thanks guys!
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Offline Pat B

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2011, 02:52:33 pm »
When you cut your logs split them in half, seal the ends and peel the bark.  ;)

Extremely nice recurve, blackhawk!  8)
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline El Destructo

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2011, 02:53:07 pm »
Blackhawk...sweet looking Recurve...and Damned Nice Shirt too.... ;D...Can Take the Boy out of Michigan...but you can't Pry Michigan out of the Boy!!

And Sailordad....Whaaaaah..... ;)
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Offline sailordad

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2011, 03:06:29 pm »
Quote from: El Destructo on May 22, 2011, 02:53:07 pm
Blackhawk...sweet looking Recurve...and Damned Nice Shirt too.... ;D...Can Take the Boy out of Michigan...but you can't Pry Michigan out of the Boy!!

And Sailordad....Whaaaaah..... ;)

 ;D ;D ;D
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i always wanted a harley,untill it became the "thing to ride"
i ride because i love to,not to be part of the crowd

blackhawk

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2011, 03:44:47 pm »
Thanks guys... I finished that one up back in january. I posted it on a couple other sites. Maybe ill repost it here as well.

Sadie make sure you peel the bark after you cut n split into staves. I know ya get tired after cutting n splitting hickory,but peel that bark asap otherwise it'll be a whole lot more work if ya don't.
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Offline Kegan

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2011, 08:13:55 pm »
Shagbark is what we have around here, and makes a pretty nice bow!

As far as set... poppy cock! I keep them nice and dry in the hotbox and no-set tiller them. Even without tempering they wind up with usually 1" of set or less in a regular design, and so far I've yet to make one that has more than 1" of string follow.

Like any other wood, and animals and people and what not, you have good and bad pieces. The bad pieces just make lighter bows, the good pieces make heavy-weight rocket launchers ;D

As for the bark, a sharp drawknife and twenty minutes will get me down to the soft inner bark. When I throw it in the hot box to dry it uually all dries up and peels off. Piece of cake, and leaves some cabmium for camo.
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Offline ken75

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2011, 12:57:15 am »
what makes a great bowyer is understanding the limits of not only your skill but your material. no matter what you choose as your material learning to exploit its strengths and design around its weakness is when your skill level becomes ART. being defined as "the faculty of performing or executing expertly what is planned or devised".

so to answer your question ,Shagbark or any hickory properly dryed,designed ,tillered and sealed will yeild not only a good bow but an exceptional one.
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Offline Canuck Archer

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Re: shag bark hickory?
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2011, 04:41:57 pm »
HI Blackhawk.  That is a wonderful bow, and I love the tips, very nice curve.  I"ve been making long bows now for a year, and getting pretty good at it.  I even made one from a water ski.  It's of the Modoc style.  I also make them from hardwood flooring.  Some say that kiln dried isn't good, but every one has turned out A-1.  I want to start doing reflex/deflex, and recurve.  Can you tell me how you got such nice tips on your bow?  Did you use a heat gun?  or soak it in water, or steam?   
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