problems with steaming dried wood

[Jarod187]

I have been told it is bad to steam dried wood but nobody ever gave me a reason why. What happens to the wood if you do this. I recently made a bow that i steamed after it had seasoned over a period of 10 yrs. The limbs follow the string quite a bit after i had fully reflexed both limbs. Is this from steaming seasoned wood? from now on should i use dry heat?

[gstoneberg]

I've always been told we use dry heat to avoid rehydrating fully dried wood as steam or especially boiling would do.  Seems smarter to keep the wood dry since so much time was spent getting it that way.  However, having said that, I don't know if there's more to it than that or if what I've been told is correct.  I have had great success using dry heat.

George

[Pat B]

When you steam dry wood you add moisture to the wood. After steaming you should get the wood completely dry before stressing it. That is probably what happened to your bow.  If steam is the only way for you to heat wood you should seal the wood completely with shellac to prevent most of the moisture from entering the wood. Shellac can take the heat and moisture from the steam where other sealers can't.
  If the back of your bow hasn't been sealed it can develop checks(drying cracks) as it releases the moisture from the steam.

[DarkSoul]

I have always been told that steaming actually DRIES OUT the wood. Yes, it will get wet, but the moisture content of the wood actually drops by steaming. Therefore, you should never bend a freshly steambent piece of wood. It needs to re-hydrate first.

[Pat B]

I know steam will help dry green wood but if the wood is not sealed and it is dry(seasoned)it will take on moisture from the steam.