Hack berry

[KellyG]

Here in my part of KS there is a lot of Hack berry. They tend to grow tall and straight. Has any one made a bow from this tree. There is a lot of osage to but I am not up to that challenge yet. Thanks

[trad_in_cali]

I know that Ozark Shadow bows in Missouri uses hackberry very successfully for the limbs and riser accents. Try it out.

[owlbait]

Had a selfbow made of it a few years ago and it was great. Have at it.

[KellyG]

thanks, I will go out and cut some and see how it works out.

[Lost Arra]

Cut both.

Get 'em both cut into staves and start the drying process so when you are ready the wood is ready too.

[ishoot4thrills]

Hackberry makes a very good bow and it is beautiful wood once it is stained or, better yet, put leather dye on it and the grain will really show up great.

[KellyG]

Will do! It will be my second try turning a stick in to a useful bow.

[Jason in Bama]

Anyone have any pictures of their hackberry bows?

[rascal]

My advice, cut plenty of it so you have multiple staves to work, if the first through the 10th dont work out you might just find that #11 is the charm.  My experience has been that no matter what the result of my bow building efforts turns out to be the experience is never a total loss.

[trashwood]

low crown as possible.  flat belly, 1&3/4" to 2" wide after the fades.  working limbs equally to draw length plus an 2"...28" x 2 + 2 = 58" of working limb.  2 x 2" fades + 5" grip =  67" bow.  get every inch of the working limb moving the same amount. nice slim tips with last 2" not moving too much.  

hackberry is quick shooting but runs out of steam after a year or two.  

after you get a couple of bows under your belt, try a Holmgaard style from a nice hackberry stave with a very low crown.  don't cut the crown down (as the original holemgaard may have) but leave the first ring as the back like ya do  with bodark.  if you can find one with a nice flat crown (big tree).  the holmgaard style can make a heck of a hunting bow.  might add another inch or two to the bow lenght

rusty

[sweeney3]

Kelly, I cut a hackberry out behind my house in Manhattan and made fine bows from it.  Very tough, easy to work wood.  Get it well dried first or it'll take quite a set, but it won't break.  Really nice bow wood.  If you get it split into quarters or so and get the bark off it'll dry reasonably quickly.  If you can stand to let it set for most of a year in the house, the bark will just kick off and you'll be ready to go.  Either way, good wood.

[KellyG]

should I take the bark off like for hickory and use that as the back. That was my plan any way.

[va]

KellyG and Sweeney -

I am waiting for more details with bated breath.  Yes, i brushed my teeth.

Seriously, i have some hackberry and was starting to wonder about the best bow design.

I get up to Manhattan often (K-State grad in '83) because my folks are near Keats.

Holla and we can go lose a few arrows some time.

va

[dtarbell]

Trashwood got it right and hackberry makes a real fine bow.

[KellyG]

VA,
Let me know when you are in the area. Again you have to promise not the laught for my bow still has it training wheels. Only because I want to build one. I have not let go of the training wheels.

Sweeny,
I will beable to let is set for awhile. Thanks