Help me build this narrow hickory bow

[Puckaway]

I have a decent 68" hickory stave I pulled out of the pile and need to insight or pointers on layout options for this bow. I'd like to shoot for a 50#ish draw at my 26 inches. The stave is pretty clean. Please ignore my pencil lines. The stave is about 1 1/2" at the handle and narrows in a couple spots around 1 1/4 in a few places before mid limb. I'd assume that stiff handled bow would take too much set since the stave is so narrow already? My question is to you guys how would you make this bow given the dimensions I've listed so we end up decent hunting weight and acceptable string follow?

[Parnell]

Heat treat, heat treat, heat treat.  Hickory loves the heat.

P.s. If you do a bend through the handle bow that would be considered on the wide side.

[rps3]

I am just finishing up a hickory with the same width as yours. 66" 55# at 28" draw, still holding an inch of reflex, and I did not put more than 2.5-3" of reflex in. I gave it a good heat treat as Parnell said. 4" Stiff handle and 4" total fade.

[bubby]

Personally I'd build a Cherokee style d bow thats what I'm seeing

[rps3]

I like the hickory floor also. I did my entire 1st floor in hickory too.

[bigcountry]

I have never heat treated hickory.  I have a big stash I am thinking on working on.  When you heat treat, do you add pine pitch or anything while cooling, or just toast?

[Cade]

Somebody said it was on the wide side, how narrow should one go for a hickory bendy handle?

[Auggie]

Id say as little as 1 1/8 wide. i made one for Parnell thats probably 68  and a little over an inch  wide and is 50@28. I like hickory,makes food taste good too!

[Danzn Bar]

Hey Puck,
Keep it as wide as you can, at 68" long you should have plenty of hickory to do a stiff handle bow if that's what your wanting.  If it 's anything like the hickory I'm working now you'll end up with a hunting weight bow for sure.  Here is a pic of a stretched out Sudbury design I'm working on.  the pic is just in process, but it might give you an idea.   It is at its widest 1 5/8" with very long fades and I heat treated the belly.  I'll posts some front profile pics when finish.  Specs 55 @ 28... I'd say, just go for it.
DBar

[Peacebow_Coos]

+1 Bubby

[Puckaway]

So.. Should I stick with the full length and just taper from fades to around half inch nocks, or try to maintain 1 1/4 until mid limb and then taper to tips?

[Danzn Bar]

Puck,
I would maintain 1 1/4" to mid limb an then taper to the tips.  make sure your fades are smooth and graceful, no abrupt angles in the fades with hickory, or your chance some frets or crystals. 
DBar

[Puckaway]

I ended up with chrysals on my first hickory bow. I will do that.

[Springbuck]

  I'd narrow to the current narrowest width, the 1-1/4" you mentioned, and make a bendy handle.   Then keep all the width you have until at LEAST 1/2 way out the limb, maybe only taper the last 1/3rd.  Even with the narrow profile, your limb won't be very thick. 

  A Cherokee bow would work, but a modified Cherokee that narrows at the ends, or skinny flatbow makes the most sense.

[Danzn Bar]

I think at this stage it would be good to produce a good shooter.  Once you have a dozen or so bows under your belt then work on a particular design. 
Puck,  you've got enough hickory to make a bendy or stiff handle bow at your draw length.  Do what you want and feel comfortable with.
DBar