# From a hickory tree to a stave (Finished!)



## Tailfeather (Jun 14, 2010)

Now to let it dry.....drying one in the truck with the windows up....I'm trying not to be impatient. lol


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## bam_bam (Jun 14, 2010)

Looks good. Quite a bit of work aint it....lol. Those will make some fine bows right there.


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## Redbow (Jun 14, 2010)

Make sure you seal the ends of the staves or they will crack. Don't get impatient, let them dry for many months , you won't regret it .


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## NCHillbilly (Jun 14, 2010)

Good looking staves-straight and clean. You can rough one out to near-bow dimensions and it will dry a lot faster and be less likely to warp, too.


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## flattop (Jun 14, 2010)

Watch them toes! Hate to see them chopped off.


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## SELFBOW (Jun 14, 2010)

I want one!


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## Sixes (Jun 15, 2010)

Go ahead and build me one too. 



and put some moccasins on those feet


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## Nugefan (Jun 15, 2010)

that 2nd pix is way too cool ...


you breaking that young man in right ....

can't wait to see you shootin' em ....


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## TNGIRL (Jun 15, 2010)

Real nice looking staves!!! be sure and take pics along the journey (even mistakes) let us be a part of it with you!!!!please.


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## schreck_1 (Jun 15, 2010)

I sure wouldn't have had the nerve to do that in bare feet!  You are really taking the primitive arts to the extreme!


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## Tailfeather (Jun 28, 2010)

Made a little more progress....just working on it when I get a chance.  Used a hatchet to take down the stave and get the width to near-bow dimensions.  It was narrow enough then I could "cheat" and use a skill saw to take down the sides.  I marked the center of the stave for the handle, and used the twine to lay out the nocks, limbs, etc.  She is now drying for another week or so in the house before I take her down to actual bow dimensions.


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## buckhunter3987 (Jul 7, 2010)

Very cool!


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## dpoole (Jul 9, 2010)

if you have a scale you can weight it. record the weight and date. Then repeat in a week . When it stops losing weight you can remove more wood. Then start the weight and record process until it stops again. it will only get so dry with the humidity we have.


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## TNGIRL (Jul 9, 2010)




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## Dawg Tired (Jul 9, 2010)

Keep Em coming


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## Bowyer29 (Jul 10, 2010)

NCHillbilly said:


> Good looking staves-straight and clean. You can rough one out to near-bow dimensions and it will dry a lot faster and be less likely to warp, too.



 That is right!!


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## Tailfeather (Jul 10, 2010)

A few more from this morning.  Unfortunately, I got a little overly-exuberant and thinned the limbs down more than I wanted.  After tillering, it probably won't be as heavy as I want......may make it for the wife. I have several more ready to go, though. 

Live and learn, lol.


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## Dawg Tired (Jul 10, 2010)

Make Sure ya keep them Ends sealed, She'll sho go to splitting on ya and at times twistin if she aint dried the way she wants to.


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## matt123 (Jul 14, 2010)

Im very impressed and to be honest youve got me motivated to try something like this myself. Im looking forward to seeing how it comes out. Awsome work man and its really cool your son is involved with it too! Ill deffinatly be checking on this tread to see your next pics!


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## Echo (Jul 14, 2010)

Well, that project is coming right along Feather-Joe! Can't wait to see the finished product.


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## NCHillbilly (Jul 15, 2010)

That's looking really good so far. Looks like you've still got plenty of wood, too. What are the length and width now? You can always pike it a couple inches, flip the tips up, or heat-treat the belly into a little reflex to gain some weight. I usually toast hickory bellies pretty good.


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## Nugefan (Jul 15, 2010)

dang I missed this update ...

lookin' good Joe .....


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## Tailfeather (Aug 31, 2010)

Well, I finished the first bow from the tree today.  

I don't think I have the tiller perfect, but for my first self bow I'm tickled. She shoots very nicely.....around 45 lbs.


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## j_seph (Aug 31, 2010)

I'll be the first to say it, it looks nice. Wish I had the patience, skills, patience to do that!


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## Nicodemus (Aug 31, 2010)

Nice lookin` bow!


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## runs with scissors (Aug 31, 2010)

Sweet..god job!


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## chehawknapper (Sep 1, 2010)

Looks great! How do you like how she shoots?


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## schreck_1 (Sep 1, 2010)

Well done Tailfeather!


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## bnew17 (Sep 1, 2010)

very nice! how did you learn to make one?


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## Tailfeather (Sep 1, 2010)

bnew17 said:


> very nice! how did you learn to make one?


Nugefan, the other folks on here, and some books.  Chehaw, it's a blast to shoot....and much more accurate than my limited ability can take advantage of.  Just hope it doesn't break!


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## Jake Allen (Sep 1, 2010)

You have done a fine job sir! 
You can be mighty proud; I am proud for ya!


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## Nugefan (Sep 1, 2010)

I Like It ....

you did a jam up job , can't wait to see her get first blood ....


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## Altamaha Stalker (Sep 1, 2010)

Awesome job Feather Joe! I hope to see pics of you with your first kill with it soon!


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## flattop (Sep 1, 2010)

Looks good TailFeather Joe!


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## Dawg Tired (Sep 1, 2010)

Way toGo!! Awsome Job


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## chief1941 (Sep 2, 2010)

good looking first try. rember the indians didnt have one bow a lifetime. they aew made to break.the next one will be as enjoyable as this one was.no stave is the same and no matter how hard you try you can not maketwo  the same.


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## Katera73 (Sep 2, 2010)

Nice bow Now you got three more to go.


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## dpoole (Sep 2, 2010)

congrat on your first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! looks great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## dutchman (Sep 2, 2010)

It does look very nice. Tiller looks good.


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## Al33 (Sep 2, 2010)

Great job!!!! My hick staves are ready for some work too, just have to find the time to do it, but your reports and pic's give me cause to want to get at them sooner.

Congratulations an a successful bow build.


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## bam_bam (Sep 3, 2010)

if you didnt violate a ring on the back you should have a shooter for a good while. Remember to seal it to keep moisture out, seems like hickory loves to soak up moisture. Very nice bow, keep it up you done well.


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## LongBow01 (Sep 3, 2010)

Nice bow !!


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## stick-n-string (Nov 30, 2012)

TURNED OUT GREAT!! My plan is to do this as well! good job buddy!


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## snook24 (Nov 30, 2012)

Nice! We will be doing this this year and only hunting with it until we get a deer. Been wanting to do this since I was 12. Thanks for posting


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## hummdaddy (Nov 30, 2012)

fine work joe


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## Flint Arrow (Nov 30, 2012)

Great Job...hickory is a good wood....go take some game now!


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## Redbow (Dec 1, 2012)

That's a great looking bow...I have made quite a few out of different woods, self bows are my favorite..They will break of course I have broken a few .

One I made out of Cocobolo broke on me after shooting it many times . It was about 58 inches long but it had a strong pull and would fling an arrow very fast..One day I took the Cocobolo bow inside to do something to it don't remember what now. In my dining room I braced the bow and then drew it for my wife to see. Suddenly the top limb exploded, came back and hit me on the back of my left hand, then bounced off the sliding glass doors, then off the kitchen cabinets and ended up on top of the stove..I was very lucky that limb did not hit me in the face..If it had I could have been injured very badly..

I learned a lesson that day. When you draw a bow there is lots of energy to be released if something breaks..Its best to install a pulley system on your tillering post and test the bow for breakage before you shoot it IMO..Good luck with yours, but be careful also, they can suddenly explode as I found out a while back...


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## ALwoodsman (Dec 3, 2012)

That is a fine looking bow!  I have 4 staves in the garage right now that I cut back in the summer.  I need to get to work on those!


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