Bending Osage or Yew

[bigcountry]

I have like 4 bows in the works.  I have to finish one before I go nuts.  But problem is I don't have a grasp on straightening out bow wood.

I have one yew bow D-cross section, semi bend in the handle, that no matter what wants to bend to one side.  So I need to put a bend in at the handle I guess.  I don't want to tilller anymore until I get it bending right.   I have a heat gun but it does not get hot enough.  I have tested it on a scrap piece of yew and have to hold it right up to the wood for 1 min just to even get charing.  A friend suggested I use a propane grill and wrap it win tin foil, heat it up and quickly put in a jig and vise to bend at the handle.  Other have suggested fire.

How do you guys bend your wood with flame like a propane torch?  What do you do to keep from scorching?  I see people putting some sort of oil on it.  What is that? 

I have used steam before reflexing tips with osage, but after reading Marc's article on how steaming can weaken a bow's back quickly, I am going to stay away from that.

Other bows I have are osage with a good bit of prop twist.  I get them to a point where they are laid out and floor tillered, and tillered enough I can brace them 3", and get tired of the twist and put them aside.  Then off chasing a ring on another stave.

What is the best way to remove some prop twist?  Remove it at the handle with pipe wrench and wieghts with dry heat?  Use a torch?  Steam?

[Bowbound]

How much bend is there? any pics would really help us out. I have never worked yew or osage    so can't offer too much of an opinion but i'm sure other guys will chime in.

[bigcountry]

You can't physcially see any bend in the yew bow.  Only when you try to string it or brace it does it want to twist on me.  One guy said keep tillering and most of that twist will come out.

I probably need to take more material off the 8" of tips.  Right now with the D-cross section, the tip section is more thick than wide.

[sailordad]

the limb that wants to twist
is it the same thicknes on both sides?
if not that could be the problem

[bigcountry]

the limb that wants to twist
is it the same thicknes on both sides?
if not that could be the problem

I have starred at this thing and starred and for the life of me do not understand why it wants to twist.  The back is fairly flat all the way down with no prop twist.  But as soon as you try to pull back, it wants to pull one way.

Right not its like 45lbs at 16" draw.   Maybe I should keep tillering it, and tiller it so the belly is more flat than D, and that might help it? 

[bcbull]

ok first of big country  reverse  ur order you bend the yew with steam and the osage with dry heat, get a big ol pot of water boiling  put the place you wanna bend  over the put cover it with foil  wait maybe a hr or so  then take it out and bend but bend fast you  only have 45 sec to a min to do it  i have one of my boys standin there with the heat gun just to try to keep it warm while im workin on  the yew  ok as  for the osage rub it down good with oil where you wanna bend  and heat it up with the heat gun befor long osage gets very bendy easiest wood there  is to bend id say  hope that help s ya  and some of the other s can chime in on it also as for prop twists i do not know never have had one yet haha god luck brock

[bigcountry]

ok first of big country  reverse  ur order you bend the yew with steam and the osage with dry heat, get a big ol pot of water boiling  put the place you wanna bend  over the put cover it with foil  wait maybe a hr or so  then take it out and bend but bend fast you  only have 45 sec to a min to do it  i have one of my boys standin there with the heat gun just to try to keep it warm while im workin on  the yew  ok as  for the osage rub it down good with oil where you wanna bend  and heat it up with the heat gun befor long osage gets very bendy easiest wood there  is to bend id say  hope that help s ya  and some of the other s can chime in on it also as for prop twists i do not know never have had one yet haha god luck brock

I am so confused these days.  I hear some say, don't use dry heat, some say yes, use dry heat, other say to steam, then others say don't.

Thanks for the reply.

[bcbull]

   you use the oil to keep from scorching ur wood  on osage and hickory some others  if you steam  give it a couple weeks to reyhdrate afterwards     thats how i like to do it anyway and im sure some of the others like george and pat will chime in here and help ya also  brock

[sailordad]

i have never used steam
i have used a heat gun on osage with some crisco rubbed in and past the area you are heating.it helps spread the heat evenly.

[juniper junkie]

You can't physcially see any bend in the yew bow.  Only when you try to string it or brace it does it want to twist on me.  One guy said keep tillering and most of that twist will come out.

I probably need to take more material off the 8" of tips.  Right now with the D-cross section, the tip section is more thick than wide.

did you actually get it strung? or do you just feel it twisting under pressure?  check to make sure your string grooves are even. sounds like your not sure where it needs bending, if so it may not need bending, just adjusting. take a string and tie a small weight (a socket works well) to each end, make it about 12" longer than the bow, center it on the tips  with the extra hanging over pulling the string tight, and see what it looks like from the end of the bow looking lengthwise that may tell you if your tip alignment is off. a strung pic of the bow will help us out.

[juniper junkie]

oops....I should have pointed out on the string test, that you do it unstrung and run the string down the back while bow is in a vise horizontily back up as close to level as possible.