Does anybody know where there is a tutorial for bulding a bamboo backed hickory from a stave? Thanks for the help!
:help: Brian
I'm thinking it would have to be de-crowned to take the backing, but I may be wrong.
If the stave is good enough for a self bow I wouldn't back it. I see backing as a means to make not-so-good bow wood into a good bow. With the proper design and low M/C hickory can and will hold its own with any backed bows. If you are in an area of high humidity, hickory is not necessarily a good bow wood. In Dry climates, it is one of the best.
If you just want to make a boo backed hickory bow, hickory lumber is a better option for a backed bow. IMO Pat
Then why a bamboo backed osage? Just asking.
What makes hickory lumber a better option?
Brian
I don't think any stave, hickory, osage, yew, mulberry, etc, that is good enough for a self bow should be used for a backed bow. Backing isn't necessary for good stave to make a good shooting bow. As I said, I see backing as a way to make bad bow wood good bow wood.
In my area, osage would be a better option because of the humidity and even osage is effected by it. Hickory is very hygroscopic, meaning it readily takes on moisture from the atmosphere and hickory in slow to release that moisture back into the atmosphere.
I have made some very good bows from hickory. It is one of my favorite bow woods but during the humid summers and until the dryer winters it can loose 10 or more pounds of draw weight and become very sluggish because of the humidity.
A personal example...I made a sinew backed hickory. Both the wood and the sinew/hide glue are effected by humidity. When I made the bow it was 56#@26". Within a month it was 45#@26". I sent it to a friend in Colorado and within a month it was 65#@26". all because of the relative humidity of the areas. Pat
also, most bowyers I know use osage(or other woods) lumber for backed bows. There is a lot more work involved and a lot more waste in making a backed bow from stave as compared with a board. Pat
"Hunting the Bamboo Backed Bow" is a video/DVD by Dean Torges. I use his techniques. The back of the hickory stave would have to be planed or in some other way flattened. BBH, I feel, makes a very nice bow.
I just got that video from a friend of mine today and will watch it tomorrow.