Heat treating black walnut

[Jmilbrandt]

I have a black walnut bow I was just finishing up and it has taken about 1/2 inch of set normally I would just heat treat it and give it a little reflex. I'm a little worried though with bw because I have heard its a little tension weak and I don't want to overpower the back. I probably shouldn't even worry about it at only 1/2 inch but I hate set.

[smokeu]

You elitest... probably spelled that wrong!! Boy id be happy with and inch or so!! Just kidding, best of luck though. Maybe you could test a small piece of BW to see how it reacts to the treatment under tension/compression??

How bout some pictures??

[elk country rp]

most everything i've read about walnut says that it takes a lot of set. i've only made a few laminate bows using it as belly wood, but my experience has reinforced what i've read so far.

1/2" of set is kinda small on the spectrum , though, isn't it?

[bearbowman]

I'd leave it. I just broke an all sapwood BW with heat.

[Jmilbrandt]

I know 1/2 inch isn't alot at all and that's what I keep telling myself. But then I look down it and all these thoughts of what I could do to fix it start running through my mind .  But I think I will try to force myself to leave it I don't want to break it.

[PeteC]

Can you flip the tips a little and get that 1/2" back?  God Bless

[anglobow]

I would not heat treat or try to reflex a bow that has already been worked enough to take set. It's a good way to open up perpendicular checks on the belly.

[FlintWalker]

A bow need not be straight, to be a success.   If 1/2" is all you have "fixing" it, sounds like a good way to "break" it.
 I'd be happy if 1/2" is all I got and just shoot it.
 

[adb]

A little bit of set is actually a good thing (anything <2" is fine).

[Jmilbrandt]

I know that much set isn't bad and I will just leave it. My problem is so many of my bows have reflex that I feel like I haven't made it to the best of my ability. But i learned my lesson last time I tried to "fix" my hackberry recurve with a hair of set and broke it. 

[rkeltner]

i have an all sapwood bw bow that took about 2 1/2 inches set. since i have two knots in on limb, i had no intention of making any more alterations to the wood, so i added linen fabric to the back. to my suprise, it seemes to have gained poundage, in addition to being made less likely to break. at 1/2" set, i'd consider fabric backing it. otherwise i'd call it good and leave it!!

[Colt45]

hey Justin! Remember last time you had to make me heat treat half of that mountain maple bow... you sure you could do that all on your own? haha  just kidding justin... you should just leave it. No point in wrecking a fine bow! If you can live with that    just try to make it more like my erc bow haha no set.
your favorite brother
colton

[sulphur]

i heat treat or temper almost right before final tiller.  never after i have shot it about 20 times.  i usually plan on tempering hickory, ash, hackberry as a general rule.

[Rich Saffold]

I say leave it as  that bow is doing just fine.

[Jmilbrandt]

I decided not to mess with it. Turned out ok sure is nice looking wood. In the end I ended up with one limb dead straight and the other taking about an inch of string follow. Kind of disappointing . Oh well guess i'll just make another one .