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Author Topic: ash bow needs limb bent, dry or steam?  (Read 4039 times)

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Offline richpierce

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ash bow needs limb bent, dry or steam?
« on: November 20, 2007, 12:52:18 pm »
I am working an ash longbow and have been tillering it.  One limb bends off to one side a bit, progressively, to the tip. 
This picture gives you an idea, wish I had taken a better one looking down the back.  You can kind of see the limb to the right in the picture, leaning off to the right, more toward the tip.



The string does pass over the handle, but when pulling the bow a little bit, it wants to twist in the handle.  I think I had better bend the bow so it does not twist when I shoot it. The limbs are flat and wide so I think bending it in the handle will be best.  The stave was really seasoned, about 4 years.  Should I use dry heat or steam?  If I do steam it, how long do I wait after straightening to begin tillering again?

Do you agree to bend it in the handle or shpuld I bend it out on the last third of the limb?
« Last Edit: November 20, 2007, 12:54:30 pm by richpierce »
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: ash bow needs limb bent, dry or steam?
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2007, 12:59:29 pm »
I would steam the bejeesus out of the handle for at least 45 minutes to an hour and try to bend it there. It's awfully hard to try to bend wide, thin wood laterally. If I'm trying to bend a limb tip sideways, I usually do it before I cut the taper(when it's still as thick or thicker as it is wide).
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Offline DanaM

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Re: ash bow needs limb bent, dry or steam?
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2007, 01:26:55 pm »
You could just leave it alone and shoot it also, if the string crosses the handle it may just be fine.
When drawing the grip will twist at first just adjust to it. Also I generally have my bow drawn a few inches
before commiting to a full draw, so my hand is already adjusted if the grip rolls a little. Paul Comstock wrote an article
for PA where he suggests this very thing. Either way good luck.
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: ash bow needs limb bent, dry or steam?
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2007, 02:44:35 pm »
You could also cut the string in further on the same side as the sting is off which looks like the lower part of the picture. Jawge
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Offline akila

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Re: ash bow needs limb bent, dry or steam?
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2007, 06:30:14 pm »
HI...i dont have to much experience on bow building but my 3 latest bows have the same priblems...i did some heating with dry heat in the handle area and i put the bow down on the floor, i put something first under the handle and i bend it the other way with my foot on it..i put my left foot on the straight limb, and with my right hand and my body weight i push on the other limb wich is not straight and i must say that i have verry good result.I did this becose i dont have a form where i cant corect this side ways things.So i do it in the floor and i put something under the area that needs to bend..some piece of wood for ex..
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