Stave for Christmas Exchange

[Keenan]

 I was thinking of you today Pat. I spent a little time heat treating some dips and dives in a Mountain Mahogany stave.  I think this one is going to take several sessions as well.  Did you get to work on that one today or were you out chasing critters?

[Pat B]

Keenan, I've got her bending pretty good and hope to go to low brace tomorrow. I'm looking forward to that and seeing what I'm dealing with. I think I'm gonna have to narrow the width a bit so I don't run out of thickness but she is still holding plenty of weight.

[Keenan]

 

[Pat B]

I got a string on her today at low brace. The string stretched a bit so it lays just over the handle. The tiller is looking pretty good. The kink is on the left limb right at the cinder block joint.  I will need to adjust the string track a bit it seems but so far I'm satisfied with how it is going.

[Keenan]

Looking good Pat, Tiller looking good so far and a little more tweeking and you'll be in line. Well at least the string might be in line.   Those are some nice looking growth rings on that stave.

[gstoneberg]

Sometimes I leave the string right on the edge like that so it's sort-of "center shot".  Do you guys ever do that, or is there a reason not to?

George

[Pat B]

George I've done that on some bows but on this one I want it as centered as possible because of the other isseus this bow has. I still have enough meat at the handle and the tips to make adjustments there too.
  Keenan, The growth rings are pretty nice but the early rings are almost as big but not quite.
  I have the non-kinked limb clamped and heated to begin the string allignment. Once it cools I'll low brace the bow and see where the string lies then.   The handle area is in a crescent shape so that adds to the confusion too. 

[JW_Halverson]

I see a lot of people heat limbs to get lateral adjustments to string tracking. In effect, you are bending at the thickest point to get adjustments.  I usually heat the handle section and make small adjustments to bring the string into alignment.  Am I on the cutting edge of new technology doing this?  Or am I doing something that is risky/dangerous?

[gstoneberg]

For me, bending the handle is harder because the wood is so much thicker and takes longer to get hot enough to bend.  It isn't as hard to get heat all the way through the thinner bow limb.  Once you get it hot it will bend laterally just fine.  It does bend easier in the reflex/deflex direction for sure.  A side benefit to the lateral bend is it makes the limb snakey looking and I like that.  If you don't scorch the wood, I don't think a handle bend would be risky, but I've only done it once. If I could, I'd leave the handle oversize, heat and bend it, and then take it to final dimensions.  Any time I mess with the handle by heating it or splicing it I wrap the whole handle with thread to strengthen it.

George

[Pat B]

John, the handle is so much thicker than the rest of the bow I think it would take too much heat to get it to bend. There is a bend in the handle anyway that I want to incorperate in the bow. Once I do a final shape on the handle I mat tweak it a bit if still necessary
  I did a little bit of alignment on the "other" limb. After it cooled I braced the bow and that might be all I need for now. The string isn't perfect but much better than before.
  No work for me tomorrow so I'll do a little more then. 

[Pappy]

Looking good so far to me.
   Pappy

[ohma]

i think you got that one on the downhill now Pat, great pics and teaching . looking forward to the end results.

[gstoneberg]

Yes, I really like the setup you use for straightening a stave.  That's much better than just trying to eyeball the bends.  I need to set up something like that too.  Thanks for showing it.

George

[Gary Mac]

Would you consider steaming the handle section for the final phase of the straightening process?

[Pat B]

Gary, I don't like to use steam on already dry wood. Plus, I can get it hotter with dry heat and oil. Steam only gets to 212deg(F)