Help with a bend

[Don Case]

Thanks, I hope I didn't put any doubt in Slimbob's mind. I didn't mean to.

[SLIMBOB]

No prob Don. This is a problem to solve on a couple of levels. A person without much experience trying to bend a problem stave sideways, a bunch. Best approach in my mind is to seek opinions and go with the one that makes the most sense. I probably would just use a heat gun to bend the handle, but I know what I can get away with. I think PD has the best call here.

[Bluekable]

Thanks a lot to everyone for your input.

I agree SLIMBOB, I feel that PD's suggestion feels best and I will give it a try.

Just for added info, the stave was from (I am 99% sure) a China Berry, which is a tree that we commonly call Saringa in South Africa - even though its not really Saringa. We have LOADS of them growing over here and while I was picking some Mulbury, Maple and Stinkwood trees to cut for seasoning I came across an already dried out log of Saringa in my neighbor's wood stock. Wanting to get my hands dirty as quickly as possible, and hoping to get some practice in before trying anything out on the Mulberry and Stinkwood staves I have seasoning, I decided to give this stave a shot.

As a result I wont be all that fussed if it doesn't turn out that well but I would like to give it my best effort in the hope that it does.

Alongside all this I must mention JAWGE and SLIMBOB, that the bend (And possibly the Prop Twist compunds this) causes the bow to twist whenever I try to floor tiller it. I get some bend but I have to counter the twist quite firmly with my hand thats holding the handle. Fot this reason I felt that it would be better to try get the bow quite straight (Bend or Twist or even Both if required) before tillering so that I could floor tiller with a bit more comfort. All this being said I have no experience in tillering letalone floor tillering and as such this is all intuitive reasoning. Any suggestions on whether I do or do not need a straight bow for floor tillering will be appreciated.

Again, thanks for all the help guys. Will keep you updated if things work out.

[SLIMBOB]

You will get some differences in opinion on floor tillering.  Some will floor tiller till the bow is nearly complete.  I floor tiller only to get the limbs bending evenly with each other 4 - 6 inches or so, then I get a string on it.  I don't have to fight what you described as long as some others might.  As a rule, I don't worry with prop twist.  Some of it will straighten out once I have it finished, and what remains is of little consequence. 90 degrees is too much, but half that I can live with.  Some people just will not have it, and remove it all.  The problem you will have without a proper setup for such a task, is that you will straighten the limb laterally and then take the twist out or visa versa.  Either way the first bend will straighten back out as you heat for the second.  Heating and bending both moves at the same time is required.  If you can do that, great.  If not, straighten the limb laterally and see if the prop twist works itself out somewhat as you tiller.  That's what I would do.  See what else comes along here.  Good luck.