Increasing set question...from an amateur bowyer

[hurlbri1]

I made a hickory board holmie.  The working limb is 2.25" wide for about 2/3 the lenth of the limb and about 1/2" thick, about as uniform thickness as I can muster across the working limb.  It draws just a hair under 50# at 26" and is 68" OAL.

It's my 4th successful bow, in that I can shoot it without it breaking.  I took it hunting for the first time last weekend and it stayed strung for a good 12 hours.  No deer--early October and more hunters than critters on the public land.

Anyway, there was a dramatic--and I mean 2-3 inch increase in set after the hunt.  It did return back to its original shape, but still had some increased set.  I then put about 3 dozens arrows through it last night and it got more and more sluggish the more I shot. And again, a lot more set after.

What is going on here?  All my other bows are pryamid style hickory board bows all of which have some set, but not an increase after strung for 14 hours.

I'm confused.  I know hickory absorbs moisture and that would do it, but why isn't that affecting my other bows?  Is this a problem with really wide, flat, rectangular limbs?  Is this a hickory problem? Or did I just not make it that well?  If its the latter, I can take--I'm still new at this...

Thanks for your insights!
-Brian

[Joec123able]

Are your Bows sealed up from moisture ??

[blackhawk]

Are your Bows sealed up from moisture ??

Doesn't matter how well a bow is sealed...if its stored in too high humidity of an area it will reach equilibrium with where ever the rh is at....

And when you say the limb thickness is almost uniform that leads me to believe you are bending to much at the fades...and when you incur set there it dramatically increases set,and if that's the case n being stored in too high of humidity it will combine to get what your experiencing....but that's just all gueses cus I haven't seen any pics of your bow...we really need pics of it to dissect it better

[Parnell]

Hickory likes to have a "trapped" back, WELL toasted belly, and a good seal.  If those three things happen with a good tiller, they'll be fine.  It'll still be subject to moisture and humidity...which is why Osage is better!

[BOWMAN53]

can you post a pic of the full draw? maybe there is a hinge that is getting worse and worse.

[Badger]

  Most of the hickory bows I have made seem to gain set over time. I blame the humidity where I am at which is not extremely high at about 65% but it stays pretty constant throughout the year. Hickory is great if you have a dry climate. I left one braced in the garage and forgot about it for a couple weeks and the string was loose when I discovered it. I have left ossage bows braced accidently and maybe they picked up 1" of temporary set.

[hurlbri1]

It has been rather humid lately in the greater Chicago area...here are two pics that I have.  I have not tried toasting the belly yet--a bit too scared right now...maybe on the next one.  Blackhawk, I believe there is a decent transition from the riser to the flat spot--but maybe not enough! 

Badger, Osage is a bit pricey--I can get a nice hickory board for 10 bucks!  But I have a co-worker who thinks he can get me some osage from his neighbor's yard which would be neat.

I did seal it--4 coats of an orange oil/ beeswax mix.  It seemed to work well for my other bows. 

[Danzn Bar]

It is amazing how much moisture or RH effects hickory.  I am in Kentucky - high RH, and have made a few hickory bows, when tillering and shooting in I keep them in a heated tube until just before finishing.  They are very snappy at first, then loose some cast as time goes on.  But the first few arrows from a bran new hickory really gets my adrenalin going.  But no matter how you seal them they will reach the ambient RH quicker than you might think.  I once thought hickory was in the same category as osage until I built a few osage bows.  Osage is the best all around wood I have used to date.  But, there is a lot more wood to try out there. 

hurlbri,  if you have osage in your area, get out and explain to the land owners what you want to do with the wood.  most will let you cut some if you leave the area like you found it, except for the missing tree .  That's how I get  my staves.  Just get a log or two at first, reduce them to staves. and wait about 12 months.  that's the hard part.  until then there some guys on here that is osage poor and might trade you a stave or two.

Good luck, it can be contagious 
DBar

[Joec123able]

It is amazing how much moisture or RH effects hickory.  I am in Kentucky - high RH, and have made a few hickory bows, when tillering and shooting in I keep them in a heated tube until just before finishing.  They are very snappy at first, then loose some cast as time goes on.  But the first few arrows from a bran new hickory really gets my adrenalin going.  But no matter how you seal them they will reach the ambient RH quicker than you might think.  I once thought hickory was in the same category as osage until I built a few osage bows.  Osage is the best all around wood I have used to date.  But, there is a lot more wood to try out there. 

hurlbri,  if you have osage in your area, get out and explain to the land owners what you want to do with the wood.  most will let you cut some if you leave the area like you found it, except for the missing tree .  That's how I get  my staves.  Just get a log or two at first, reduce them to staves. and wait about 12 months.  that's the hard part.  until then there some guys on here that is osage poor and might trade you a stave or two.

Good luck, it can be contagious 
DBar

I asked a guy if I could cut some osage on his property he explained his only concern was liability so he cut some Osage for me lol and said he will be cutting more straightish pieces for me in the future

[Danzn Bar]

  Can't beat that!

[k-hat]

I don't know what to tell ya hurlbri1 except what's already been said.  She is a pretty stick-o-hick though

I do wanna ask if you're a physics teacher by chance??  The rutherford quote in your tag is hanging in my classroom

[soy]

Nice looking bow.....darn humidity

[mikekeswick]

Hickory likes to have a "trapped" back, WELL toasted belly, and a good seal.  If those three things happen with a good tiller, they'll be fine.  It'll still be subject to moisture and humidity...which is why Osage is better!

Spot on!
Don't underestimate the value of doing the above things. More people should trap these tension strong woods - and a lot more than you might think.

[hurlbri1]

First, thanks all for the replies! I love this forum, everyone is so helpful. I look forward winter and some drier days. 

K-hat, I am a physics teacher! Glad to see a colleague building bows. And that quote is hanging in my classroom as well! I've been trying to design a bow building unit in my classroom, but being so close to the city, my boss is not so keen on designing weaponry in the classroom.

Parnell, what do you mean by a trapped back?  Is that just backing? Is fo, what wood would you back hickory with?

[Del the cat]

I'm not convinced a Molly' design suits a wood like that. The working limb is bending at a tighter radius than a bow with a full length working limb, thus it's asking for more set.
Del
(I reserve the right to be wrong on this... just my opinion, and it's why I've never built a Molly... I think it's a flawed concept! )