DEFLEX TO REFLEX QUESTION???

[FRITZ 86]

I just recently built my second hickory selfbow, the first for myself. I made the rookie mistake of cutting the bow down too close to finish dimensions before it was good and dry. I should have strapped it to a board to prevent this, but the bow pulled into about 3" of deflex, uniformly along both limbs. When I finally got started on the bow I achieved a good floor tiller on both limbs and then clamped it down to 3" reflex caul. I left the limbs a little thick as I felt that I would get some tension cracks, which I did when I put the heat to it. I was able to get under all of the tension cracks and after final tillering. The bow was standing straight after final tillering. I was scared to put it back on the reflex caul, worried it would develop more cracks. So I tried to very gently flip the tips a bit. One did great and one didn't. I ended up having to pike about 2.5" off of each end and ended up with a much shorter bow than I planned. Now to my question, should I have tried to re-hydrate the stave by soaking it and then try to steam the deflex out of it? How do you guys handle this type situation? Sorry for the long explanation.

[Pappy]

I usually use heat on Hickory if it is a year or so old, oil it down with cooking oil ,as far as flipping the tips boiling works better than heat for me on Hickory,I always seem to break one end at least using dry heat on the tips. I will do 20/30 a year
getting ready for the Classic and never really have much problem with checking,of course the wood is usually over a year old and has been thinned down for several months when I start. 
   Pappy

[George Tsoukalas]

Fritz, I rarely heat anything except when I'm grilling meat outside. I'll heat to get the string on the handle. I'll heat to match the limbs in a reflex if one is deflexed and the other is reflexed. I use dry heat (heat gun) and grease of some sort. I only heat the belly. when using hickory I won't even drink water next to it never mind steam it. I won't even use a water based stain. I use alcohol in Rit. If you used dry heat and you got cracks in the back then you didn't get it hot enough and you rushed the bending. Heat, clamp a little and heat some more is the ticket. Don't rush it. You'll also get cracks if your wood is not dry. As you can tell, I basically take a gentle approach to making bows. I'll heat as a last resort. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html

[FRITZ 86]

Thanks for the reply, Pappy. I may try boiling the tips next time I try and flip some. George, I didn't get cracks across the back. I got some tension cracks across the belly. I went slow, but I think I was just asking to much of the wood with dry heat. Thoughts? Pearlie, you out there? Would sure appreciate your take on this.