Heat treating and bending wood?

[stringstretcher]

I would really like to see some before and after pictures of especially osage that you have heated and bent to get reflex/deflex, and taking kinks out of wood.  Please post up some pictures of some that you have done.

[Stringman]

This bow was fairly straight to begin with, but one end was unevenly reflexed. I have put the bow through several sessions to date.

[gstoneberg]

Here's Scott's bow from the 2011 trade:





And this is Rick's bow from this year's trade:





George

[stringstretcher]

Thanks guys.....this is just what I am looking for.  In my own mind, I am trying to conceive just what is too much to try and work with?

[gstoneberg]

That second bow was 7 heatings if I recall correctly.  I like straightening a crooked stave.  It's probably the favorite part of bow building for me.

George

[stringstretcher]

That's another part of the answer I was looking for George.  How many times can you heat the same stave to bend/straighten it without damaging the wood?

[blackhawk]

id say 95% of the staves i correct are corrected,shaped,and tempered all in one session. it should only take once in most circumstances(and yes even with nasty staves) to make all the corrections and shaping. a form,some shims,and a heat gun will work wonders(especially with osage). personally i dont like the thought or idea of having to heat up a stave too many times,especially in the same areas that were already heated previously. thats just my two cents and opinion

[stringstretcher]

Thanks Blackhawk.  I am sure some one will post up one of those, this will never make a bow stave that they have gotten straight through heat.  I know there are some out there.  So post up some of those hard to get out kinks and bends.

[blackhawk]

heres one i did last year

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,28657.0.html

[blackhawk]

heres one i did a few days ago....it was so dogglegged at a knotty snakey hole that i didnt dare try to take it all out,so the top limb is straight and the bottom limb has a couple inches of reflex,and ill tiller it as is. i dont like trying to correct to much at "character" spots like that snakey knotty hole.

heres the before side view   





and here it is after








and heres the front profile and why and where it was doglegged at that snakey knotty hole 

[osage outlaw]

[stringstretcher]

Some great stuff every one.  Keep them coming.

[gstoneberg]

That's another part of the answer I was looking for George.  How many times can you heat the same stave to bend/straighten it without damaging the wood?

It really isn't a good idea to heat an area multiple times.  I blew up a yew bow where I had to do a sideways bend and didn't allow for enough spring back so I ended up heating it 3 times.  The 7 heatings on that osage bow represent 7 spots that needed correction, including one in the handle to make the tips align.  I could build a caul and make it easier, but where would the fun be in that?

George