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Author Topic: hickory and worms  (Read 5864 times)

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gutpile

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hickory and worms
« on: October 17, 2019, 12:31:18 pm »
a buddy gave me a stave... removed bark..has a couple of worm tracks.. one mid limb.. horizontally across back..about a 1/2 track, not real deep..but deep enough to be a violation ..I have done a few hickory bows and they are tough but had clean backs...  I've never used rawhide and was thinking it might be a way to get this piece of wood shooting.. In the south, so I have to treat hickory where it stays in the closet till I work on it for humidity reasons.. was gonna recurve it and give it a shot... any thoughts?... gut
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Offline Ringeck85

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2019, 01:38:11 pm »
I have the same issue for hickory that I cut and split a couple months ago.  Some of the staves I've debarked, I've noticed some worm tracks crawling across what would be the back.  I was planning on chasing some rings when the wood's seasoned a bit more (so that I can feel the ring difference a bit better than when the wood's green), so that I have a clean back, since my staves are still pretty deep. It's a bit more work, but I would imagine if I can chase a ring down to where there's no worm damage, I wouldn't have to back the bow with anything else.

Backing it sounds like a solid idea to me, too, but I figure if you have the room to chase a couple of rings and that works, that saves on getting or purchasing the rawhide.
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"It is how we choose what we do, and how we approach it, that determines whether the sum of our days adds up to a formless blur, or to something resembling a work of art."
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Offline Pat B

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2019, 01:45:04 pm »
Gut, I would rawhide back it and if you are going to recurve don't try to put the rawhide on the curves but stop just short of them. It's hard to bet backings to stay attached to the inside of as curve. The rawhide should take care of the work track violations.
Ringeck, chasing a ring on a hickory stave it a beeach and even more so on a seasoned stave.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Ringeck85

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2019, 02:00:03 pm »
Quote
Ringeck, chasing a ring on a hickory stave it a beeach and even more so on a seasoned stave.
Pat B that is not going to stop me from trying  ;D I don't have rawhide atm, so more work and less money is a win for me! Guess I should do that sooner rather than later then.  Fine by me! 
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"It is how we choose what we do, and how we approach it, that determines whether the sum of our days adds up to a formless blur, or to something resembling a work of art."
-Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

(Ren', in Wytheville, VA)

gutpile

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2019, 08:15:50 am »
chasing a hickory ring is out of the question... haha... good luck with that.. got one end recurved last night ..ordered some rawhide... gonna give her a go.. thanks... gut
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gutpile

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2019, 08:21:34 am »
never done a rawhide backing. done plenty of snake skins though.. seems pretty much same... was gonna try to see if I could get it to stay on curve.. is that a bad idea?.. . was going to wrap it good with inner tube till it sets... curve is pretty radical.. maybe not lol... was going for a static.. worse case it starts to come loose and I could cut it off then....is rawhide about as thick as python skins?... gut
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Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #6 on: October 18, 2019, 10:46:02 am »
Sounds like a plan :)  small string wrap in curve would help
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Offline Pat B

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2019, 12:22:56 pm »
Just like adding snake skins.  What glue are you planning to use? I've used TBIII and hide glue. I prefer hide glue these days.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

gutpile

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2019, 12:45:44 pm »
since rawhide was going to use titebond III .. its what I use on skins...sinew ..I use powdered hide glue always... was going to size back with diluted titebond let dry size again.. apply full strength to soaked rawhide and apply to bow.. wrap with innertube or ace bandage.. for a day or two ..remove and then let sit in closet for about a month..
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Offline Dances with squirrels

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #9 on: October 18, 2019, 05:37:31 pm »
If I found a worm track or borer hole in a piece of hickory, I wouldn't use it for anything bow or arrow related. The infestation of bugs into whitewood speaks to me of how it was (mis)treated, even otherwise, beyond the bugs... bug damage may be the least of our concerns. I've successfully taken good care of piles of whitewood, its not difficult, and when done so, no bugs will reside there, and none of the effects of such mistreatment need dealt with, or worried about. That said, there needn't be obvious, visible damage to the wood for critical or even fatal degradation to be present. That's why I only use whitewood that I've personally chaperoned to the best of my ability through the drying process. Maybe I have trust issues, lol, but I know every stick of my wood is Grade A prime and good to go. Any adverse issues to the bows I make with it will be 100% my fault in design or construction. I prefer those odds, and that accountability.
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Straight wood may make a better bow, but crooked wood makes a better bowyer

gutpile

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2019, 06:21:39 pm »
This stave had a few issues even with bug tracks .. I kept in house worms were found when debarking . I know it would of been fine but I broke it bending last recurve.. though water was boiling set time 45 minutes..not quite 3/4 .. should of bent like a wet noodle.. guess wasn’t boiling as good as I thought .. smh ... 💯 my fault not the wood.. feel pretty bummed
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Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2019, 02:37:17 pm »
I live high altitude,,,so I boil longer,..with better results
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Offline Pat B

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2019, 06:20:04 pm »
It's almost impossible to break hickory. Are you sure the worms were the only problem?  If it only cracked there could be remedies.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

gutpile

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #13 on: October 21, 2019, 09:41:30 am »
no I went for full bend like I always do.. never had this happen before.. pretty sure water wasn't boiling good enough yet... I had it in turkey fryer pot on stove... I looked in pot and through the steam I saw water starting to bubble on side... I set timer 45 minutes.. tip was about 3/4.. another 20 minutes and it would of bent like a wet noodle .. it split dead center of tip in bend.. thanks for the concern.. I have made a bunch of recurves..going back to a smaller pot ...lol...
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Offline DC

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Re: hickory and worms
« Reply #14 on: October 21, 2019, 10:30:30 am »
Worms and an unexpected break makes me think that the wood was starting to break down. I don't know Hickory at all but it sure sounds like early rot to me.
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