Author Topic: Where to heat/bend Osage (Read 4373 times)

bigcountry · « **on:** January 27, 2009, 12:48:19 pm »

Ok, I started a kids bow build along in the build along section. I am going to need to bend this one limb. Not sure where I should.

Should I heat the handle section and do it there? Or heat the entire limb from handle up and pull the tip over? Or heat part of the limb. I know osage doens't like to bent too far side to side.

I haven't started tillering yet. Just roughed out. Since the limbs are small now I think I could induce a bend now before floor tillering?

bigcountry · « **Reply #1 on:** January 27, 2009, 12:50:05 pm »

By the way, I havn't rasped out the handle or fades yet. I can't decide on dimensions.

Pappy · « **Reply #2 on:** January 27, 2009, 12:53:24 pm »

I almost always bend in the limbs,I bend it side to side all the time,no problem.If you followed the longitudinal grain it will bend to the side just fine.The closer to floor tiller it is the better it will respond to the heat also.

Pappy

bigcountry · « **Reply #3 on:** January 27, 2009, 01:28:39 pm »

So would you heat one section of the limb? Or heat the entire limb and pull in at the tip? Thanks for your reply

Glenn R. · « **Reply #4 on:** January 27, 2009, 01:29:57 pm »

BigCountry, that's gonna make a neat looking bow. Pappy, almost all my bending so far with osage has been steam induced--is there any advantage with dry heat other than less set-up time and not having to wait for moisture level to drop? Didn't mean to get off topic / just made me think of it looking at BigCountry's stave. Thanks.

bigcountry · « **Reply #5 on:** January 27, 2009, 03:38:19 pm »

I have heard folks saying steaming actually caused thier bows to crack. I have only steamed. I just got a shiney new heatgun.

FlintWalker · « **Reply #6 on:** January 27, 2009, 09:46:02 pm »

I'd straighten that baby in the limb. It'll be no problem at all as lond as you leave it a little thick before you bend it.

bigcountry · « **Reply #7 on:** January 28, 2009, 12:18:42 am »

Quote from: Saw Filer on January 27, 2009, 09:46:02 pm

I'd straighten that baby in the limb. It'll be no problem at all as lond as you leave it a little thick before you bend it.

I will try tomorrow night. I worked tonight on rasping the handle and fades.

Thanks for your advise.

Pappy · « **Reply #8 on:** January 28, 2009, 05:42:55 am »

I steam unseasoned wood,say less than 2 years old and dry heat older wood.After I steam it the first
time,then I use dry heat to do any tweaking it needs.If you use dry heat on green wood it will check.Most times if you steam seasoned wood it will check.I always seal it before steaming with
a coat of polly or something like that.

I use a form and straighten both limbs and put in some reflex at the same time but I have done them one at a time without a form also and it works fine just a little slower.

Get the wood hot enough to where you can touch it but can't hold your thumb on it and it will bend great.Bend it slow and easy and you should have no problems.

Pappy

GregB · « **Reply #9 on:** January 28, 2009, 08:17:49 am »

BigCountry, I think I'd heat it at the limb where you have the smaller circle. It's probably going to take quite a bit of pressure, so watch out for denting the limb edge if you're already to the limbs final width.

Eric Krewson · « **Reply #10 on:** January 28, 2009, 10:21:43 am »

I would shape your handle and bend the limb at the large circle or in the fades. My experience with trying to bend a limb in a snaky place has been a big, deep splintered crack appearing on the outside of my bend, snaky places don't like to bend.

It looks to me like your off center limb is pretty straight except for where it takes a dogleg out of the handle, I would work on this dogleg.

DCM · « **Reply #11 on:** January 28, 2009, 10:39:46 am »

I'd heat the limb from fade to string groove and let it decide where to bend. Use a couple of clamps to help it at midlimb, the width taper will naturally focus the bend perhaps too far out. You ain't got far to go, and osage is very forgiving to heat bending. Steam for wet wood, and you have to seal the back ring anyway. Dry heat for dry wood. Try to let the dry heat "soak" in. I cover my llimb with a aluminum pie plate, then an old towel and let the heat gun run in along it's lenght, focused upon a specific area I want to work if a small area, but I move it along the limb for a bigger adjustment like you have. I'd probably put heat for about 2 minutes total, moving to two locations along the limb using my towel cover setup. Then put some clamps on cand kepp the heat to her without the cover, moving to specific stiff areas,l till I got it where I wanted.

bigcountry · « **Reply #12 on:** January 29, 2009, 01:13:35 am »

Lets hope I didn't screw up. I heated the entire limb and looks like the last 10" did most of the bending.

Pappy · « **Reply #13 on:** January 29, 2009, 05:34:47 am »

That looks good to me,you can tweak it more if it needs it after you get it braced.

Pappy

bigcountry · « **Reply #14 on:** January 29, 2009, 12:25:55 pm »

Quote from: Pappy on January 29, 2009, 05:34:47 am

That looks good to me,you can tweak it more if it needs it after you get it braced.
Pappy

Pappy, it appears it reflexed more than bent side to side if you know what I mean. I was figuring I could tiller it to favor bending more to my liking.

I am still new to bending wood. I myself have not had great luck bending wood. I get it hot as possible. I can't hold it. But it doesn't move like butter as some say.

One thing I regret is not leaving more wood on this before bending. I think it would have bent more side to side instead of reflexing over.

Primitive Archer