heat treatment equipment

[Justin Snyder]

Heat treating wood is not the same as cooking a pig. I like my pig cooked all the way around. If you heat a bow like that you have too much potential to damage the back and cause an explosion.

I do it Steve's way sometimes and other times I will put the heat gun in a holder and set an egg timer. Then I will work on another bow (within a few feet) while the limb is being treated.

[Pappy]

I also use a heat gun and in no hurry,digging a pit ,making coles,then covering I think would take
a lot longer,and I am with Justin,I don't think it would bring you the results you are after.It takes me about 2 beers per limb and that is fast enough for me.
   Pappy

[Justin Snyder]

It takes me about 2 beers per limb and that is fast enough for me.
   Pappy

If that is how you time it, it must work faster for some than others. 

[Jude]

I changed my method a bit a few years ago and it seems to work well as far as keeping it even. I wave the gun back and forth from one end of the limb to the other at about 2 seconds per pass. Takes about 20 min or so and the limb will just start to deepen in color a bit, the back side will bejust to hot to keep your hand on it. I stop there, no scorch or burn marks just a deeping of color and I call it done. Steve

Badger's method is about the same as mine; I've only done it to a couple bows, but it has worked well.

[cowboy]

Dear old dad tried to treat an osage bow in the ground back in the day and from his report I think it would take a lot of trial and error (not to mention ruined bow's) to perfect it. His turned into some of the purtiest charcoal you ever did see.

[Marc St Louis]

A bed of hardwood coals works quite well and fast.  The only thing is it's a bit tricky monitoring the progress.

[zeNBowyer]

Ive heard it said many times,and i concur,that the best tool a bowyer has is Patience.

That's  beautiful  Traxx:)

[George Tsoukalas]

Is that  a 12 oz or 16 oz? Jawge

[ken75]

jawge prob double duece. lol , ive been using propane turkey cooker without the pot just open flame

[Pappy]

Usually 12 oz,unless it is an extra long bow.Then 16. it's all about the timing Jawges.
All jokes aside I use a heat gun and it takes about 20 minutes per limb, normanly.
   Pappy

[crooketarrow]

   I had a guy tell me he'd used heat tapes before on white woods.

[El Destructo]

I don't understand why anyone would want to risk an already finish tillered Bow to a Process that may or may not work as well as a Heat Gun...which you can see what it's doing firsthand ...and monitor the Process by Eye every step of the way..it's so simple and to me it's sort of calming to just stand there and heat each Limb up and feel of the Wood as it's Heating ....and watch it start to bronze up....I don't know...but the is only one Step in the Bow Making Process that I hurry....and thats cleaning up the Shavings that get tracked all over my Wife's House....before She gets Home........

[scp]

El Destructo, have you tried to use a hot stone or a pressing iron? Maybe I just don't like a tool that makes a whooshing sound.

[El Destructo]

I am not one to waste time chasing some different method of doing something...when what I use works just fine for Me......JMO

[tombo]

In South Texas (and other places I'm sure) the Indians buried imperfect stone with hot coals in a heat treatment method to make the rock easier to knap. I would guess they used hot coals to heat treat and bend wood for bows too. We know about them heating arrows for straightening too. I would think that burying a near complete bow , back side down, in damp sand/dirt and then covering (belly up) with dirt and hot coals would be a good heat-treat method and not damage the back.  Tom