Steam bending

[IdahoMatt]

I have no checks on the belly or sides just the back.  Should I just coat the back as if green and bark removed, then try steaming or coat the whole thing?

[Pappy]

Joec123able,if you use dry heat on wet/green wood before steaming it will check
a lot of the times even if sealed. Seal and Steam it first and you can use dry heat after that. I don't steam a lot because I don't use wet/green wood very often.Got plenty of seasoned wood to work with so usually use dry heat. I am not saying if you don't seal it, or steam dry wood or dry heat wet wood it will alway check but it has happened enough to me [and I have steamed and dry heated a lot of wood]that it's not worth the chance so I seal it always. 
   Pappy

[IdahoMatt]

Thanks Pappy.  I live in the desert, it is pretty dry as you would expect.  At the hottest part of the day the R.H. gets down to around 15%.  Would you just coat the back with the sealer?

[Pappy]

Yes I would,like I said it's not going to hurt to seal it so I seal them all and it can make the difference between checking and not checking ,so to me it's not much trouble so I do them all,either way. I just keep cheap wood glue mixed up [cut with a small amout of water] in a coffee can with a lid on it and a brush inside  takes a couple of minutes to seal one.  I know some will argue that you don't need to and I agree you don't always need to but for no more trouble than it is I just seal them,I hate checks,they don't usually hurt the bow as has been said if the don't run off but they don't look good to me and I will usually want co cover them up with a skin or something,I like skins but don't want to have to skin one because of my laziness.
    Pappy

[IdahoMatt]

Good point.  Thanks you again, I'll  post pics soon just got one broken in, not the one in question.
In my dry climate do you think I could use dry heat with success? P.S. that will be the last question 

[Pappy]

I would think yes,if the Moisture content in the wood is down,don't have that problem in Tennessee,humidity is 75 to 90 all spring and summer and sometimes into the late fall.
   Pappy