Trad Gang

Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: tenbrook on September 16, 2011, 10:37:00 PM

Title: Hickory Backing ?
Post by: tenbrook on September 16, 2011, 10:37:00 PM

I went to a specialty lumber yard yesterday to try and find some hickory to use as backing.

They had a ton of the stuff but after looking for a board with nice straight grain for a 1/2 an hour I gave up.

My question is how straight does the grain on a hickory board have to be to be used for backing?

What is considered acceptable?

Thanks

Tenbrook

Title: Re: Hickory Backing ?
Post by: Pat B on September 16, 2011, 10:40:00 PM

Ideally the straighter the better but I have used hickory backing strips with terrible violations and never had a back failure.

Title: Re: Hickory Backing ?
Post by: Osagetree on September 17, 2011, 07:32:00 AM

Here's a hickory backing with multiple run outs (10) and it is still shooting years later.

    (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/Osagetree/redbowdone1-1.jpg)

Just be sure and round over the edges and burnish them real good. I used a socket to burnish. Add some pressure and just rub the heck out of the edges. It makes them a little harder by compressing the fibers.

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/Osagetree/aa111-1.jpg)

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/Osagetree/boxcallbow12-1.jpg)
   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/Osagetree/boxcallbow14-1.jpg)

Title: Re: Hickory Backing ?
Post by: Pat B on September 17, 2011, 09:37:00 AM

Be sure of the source of your wood also. As long as it was handled properly off the stump you should be OK with some runoffs. The stuff I had looked like what Joe was using.
  Being a whitewood it doesn't take hickory long to deteriorate...only a few days on the ground will make it useless for backings and selfbows.