Hackberry fans: Advice please

[SLIMBOB]

I agree with PD and Gun Doc.  Temper your hackberry and temper your expectations.  Increasing draw weight with sinew is somewhat doable on shorter bows.  You wont see much difference at that length IMO.  Sinew back it if you are set on doing it, no harm in it, but it wont accomplish what you are asking of it.  Mid 40's, tempered belly with a sweet tiller, hard to beat.

[smoke]

Great responses.  Thanks guys!

[rossfactor]

I haven't worked with Hackberry, so take this with a big grain of salt. But I don't see why you wouldn't be able to get 60# out of a 66" 1.3 wide bend through the handle bow on most decent white-woods.

Admittedly the width is on the low end, but if you have the bow bending through the handle and you keep it 1.3 wide out past mid limb, you're going to relieve lot of inner limb stress. And 66 is plenty of length.  I think its a matter of tillering, if you nail the tiller, my gut tells me 60# is doable with those specs. No sinew needed.

Gabe

[PEARL DRUMS]

Id agree Gabe, providing its tempered. Ive made several hackberrys both ways and its astonishing how much less wood it takes when tempered compared to raw wood.

[Danzn Bar]

Great post! good information thanks for the info. I'm eyeballing a hackberry that just might make a stave or two next spring.
Thanx
DBar

[BowEd]

Me too Danzn Bar.I'm a sinewing fool......LOL.I've got good looking hackberry all around me here.That's all I need.I just choose to fool with hickory.I've got myself covered up with bows' progresses' all around me here.
I think with a heat treatment and carrying width a little past midlimb you should be fine.I'll quote Tim Bakers' hypothesis.I know he's not God but here it is.A 2" wide 65" bow will get you the draw weight of it's density.Now that's not considering heat treatment though.Now 1.3 width is only 65% of that.65% of 60# is 40# with heat treatment you might get close to 50# with 2" of set back.Sorry if this confuses you but in the end make your bow tiller it spot on and you should get close to what you want.Even if it's 55#.

[BowEd]

Oh and sinewing will increase draw weight no doubt.It all depends on how you do it and the quality of work you do.

[BowEd]

Correction actually 65% of 53[hackberrys density] would only be about a 35# bow.

[Parnell]

It's all been said so I'll just say this...I love the smell of toasting hackberry.  Good luck.