Hickory backing question

[ron w]

If you were to back a bow,osage,hickory or whatever with hickory and glue in some reflex will this work and give better performance. Will it reduce string follow? And if so, how much reflex should you put in?    thanks  ron w

[Pat B]

Adding reflex to a glue up is like adding insurance. Backing doesn't eliminate set but allows you to build bows with wood that is not suitable for self bows, ie. a board. Your tillering will have more effect on whether your bow takes on too much set or not. I don't put more than 3" or so and end up with an inch of reflex or a flat bow. The string follow will still there but the appearance of string follow isn't. If you add 3" of reflex and your bow ends up with 1" of reflex then it has taken 2" of set.
  Before you glue the back on taper the belly slat so when you draw the back and belly into reflex you have an even bend in each limb. If you glue it up as is most of your bend will be in the handle area with little bend out each limb.
  By the way, Hickory backed osage makes an excellent bow!!!    Pat

[ron w]

Thanks Pat, Do you have a min.lenght or just make it longer to stay out of trouble. I I was kind'a thinking 62" ntn or is that to short?

[ron w]

Also can you make a good bow with black locust and a hickory back, 62-64 ntn? Non bending handle.

[Pat B]

What is your draw length?  I've made hickory backed osage bows from 60"t/t up to about 66"t/t for my 26" draw.
  Locust makes a very good bow for a good bowyer. I have bad luck with locust. Others make fantastic bows with it.
 The only time I back bows is if it is a board or a stave that won't make a self bow. If you have a good stave with a good back ring, that is better than any backing you can use. IMO  You can add reflex with heat and get a quality bow. Pat

[No-sage]

Hickory backing will break your heart more times than not.

I've never had a hickory backed bow last. Even in what looks like a prime backing, something always seems to go wrong. Sometimes it lifts a splinter when making the bow, sometimes it lets go after thousands of shots.  I don't trust it anymore, especially when making high stressed bows.  Overbuilt bows are another story, but they tend to be dogs anyhow.

I wouldn't use hickory again without a cloth backing on top of it.

JMO

[ron w]

Thanks guys, How ya doing Keith ain't seen you in along time.

[No-sage]

Good RR.  When we shooting again??  Call your travel buddy and get him in gear would ya??

[Pat B]

I have had only one hickory backed bow fail.The whole log I cut for backing strips and belly slats was infected by a fungus. It all became firewood. Every other hickory backed bow has lasted many shots and are still shooting, and about half of those had violated rings on the backing.
 I don't suggest to use violated hickory backing. Use the best you can get but it is very strong and an excellent backing material for many different belly woods. Pat

[Roy Steele]

Hickory backing works good.But your tiller has to be good or will fail.