What am I doing wrong

[triggerfinger]

I have gotten bitten by the primitive archery bug pretty hard lately, I about got my work space set up so I can work on my second bow, but have been tinkering to make myself feel better.  I read Chris Cades book on making arrows a few times and thought Id go try my hand.  I have straightened a ton of shafts and wanted to temper them like he says to in the book, but when I heat them up they go back to being crooked. (they have been straightened for a few months, maybe since oct)  And the whole process is leaving me frustrated!  What am I doing wrong.

On the up side I did get the foreshaft thing figured out, and can get a great transition (because of the book), so I dont think its the books fault, just the moron with it.

[jonathan creason]

You'll usually have to restraighten them after tempering, it's no big deal. Don't try to get them dead nuts straight the first go around, just get them " pretty straight", temper, and then do the final straightening.

[randman]

Don't remember where I read it so I can't credit the brilliant person who posted it but here's my story:
Put plains style lightning grooves on 3 sides of your shaft before heat straightening and/or heat tempering and
groove edges will harden (as in toasting a bow belly) and keep your shafts straight for good.
Yay no more restraightening continuously.

[Pat B]

Are you talking about cane arrows? If so you don't put lighting grooves in cane shafts. That is for hardwood shoot shafts and not necessary but useful in some situations.

[JackCrafty]

Hmmm... haven't read the book but tempering works best on bamboo and cane.  And the tempering is done at the same time as the straightening.

[mullet]

 I do like Patrick. Keeps from over cooking the shafts and having them break.

[GaryR]

What does tempering do for the boo/cane?

[triggerfinger]

Sorry.  They are jap arrow boo.   I didnt know they should be tempered when I straightened them. So there is alot of green.

Tempering raises spine by hardening the boo via some form of crystalline structure modification due to heat. It's more complex chemistry than my redneck brain can grasp.   So I'm just believing what the book says

[GaryR]

Glad to have read this, I'm working on my own boo arrows and would have missed this step, it's not in Tenbrooks great build-along.

[randman]

Yeah the groove thing isn't for boo just shoots

[crooketarrow]

  I use the oven to temper I just started this last year. But have used a heat gun as low as it will go on low as well as a hair dryer. I build shoot arrows mainly and you always have to restraight after temper. If you don't have a jig built to hold it straight while tempering.  I've made 100's from DOGWOOD and never tempered them. Just stained and sealed.
  Dog wood stays straight after their finished (stained and sealed) I very seldom have to restraighten it stored srraight up. I have tempered a lot also I can't really tell any difference in shoot arrows. Tempering will up the spine a hair.
  I've tempered and restraightened and have a jig built that holds them straight. I can temper 3 arrow at a time. But then again with dog wood I can't tell the difference. Simply because you very seldom have to restraighten anyway.