50# Thinner Hickory Flat bow

50# Thinner Hickory Flat bow

• 62″ tip to tip
• Limbs are 1 1/4″ at the widest
• About 3/8″ at the tips

I had a hickory stave that if I spilt it in half i was afraid I would have two narrowish bows, so I split it with one a bit more narrow. This is the narrow side of that stave.

It started several inches longer, but I decided to recurve it and one end split (right at a pin knot), so it was shortened and retillered. 

It came in at 47#@28′, so I heat treated it which brought it up to 50#.

It’s dyed with Fiebing’s Leather Dye

The stave had a spot I knew I had to watch. I was hoping it would be ok, but nope,  I had a crack in the side and after about 300 arrows it started to migrated out the back, so I opened it up, got some super glue in it and wrapped it with artificial sinew set in the glue.

Then I though I’d add some turkey feathers to the back. They did not come out as well as I hoped, but they still look ok. I thinned the feathers as much as I could. I’ve found its easiest to coat the bow with glue, I’m using titebond lll, then press the feather into it. I then lift the feather to make sure there is glue on all parts, if not I add some glue and do it again. I found trying to coat the feather at this point didn’t work well. I push the feathers in and lightly smooth them out. I found wetting my fingers helped sometimes. I let the glue set up (it doesn’t need to be completely cured, just stiff enough to hold). If the feathers need to be slightly moved a little water on my fingers allowed this. Then let it cure and coat again. Now after its cured again just finish with the rest of the bow.

I am finishing with tru-oil. Multiple coats and always hand rubbed.

the chronograph results

• Name: 509 gr Arrow Hickory Thin Flat Bow
• Notes: 6-21 fast flight
• Shots: 5
• Average: 149 ft/s
• SD: 2 ft/s
• Min: 147 ft/s
• Max: 152 ft/s
• Spread: 5 ft/s
• Barometric Pressure: 29 in Hg
• Temperature: 59 F