Hickory backing

[osagedon]

Hey guys,   How important is the wood grain when using hickory as a backing?

                                                                   Don

[snedeker]

Its important for the hickory strip to have vertical grain.  The backed peice can be pretty willy nilly grain wise, although its best if it is not too awful in terms of the frain running at a real diagonal through the wood

Dave

[Bowbound]

Hickory is probably the most tolerant wood for grain violation, apart from perhaps tight ringed yew. But it still needs to be as straight as possible with as few as possible grain violations.