Twist in my HHB

[Blaflair2]

So my bow I'm making from a HHB stave has some twist in it. How do I take it out? Can I use dry heat on HHB or try and steam it? Anyone have any other suggestions

[PEARL DRUMS]

Dry heat and TEMPER it while your at it. HHB is killer tempered and can be doggy left alone.

[dwardo]

Sounded painful from the post heading  Was about to recommend a doctor.

If the twist is over a large area I torque clamp and dry heat, bit at a time.

[Blaflair2]

How close should I get it to floor tillering? Also should I trap the back. I really wanna try sinew but have none and don't know what to do with it if I did. I planned on tempering the belly. But I heard they take a lot of set. Specially for my 30" draw. Hence the thought of trapping it. (Never done it before so if I do advice and guidance appreciated)
 The stave has some even reflex in the handle. I'm going for a static handle static recurve. 68" long before bends, 2" wide fade to 1/2" 10" from tip. (May change). Looking for 55-60#

[blackhawk]

The way I do it is get the stave floor tillered to the point of where I could low brace it,then Ill temper,correct,and shape all at once....that way I only need to get the gun out once and your corrections will stay better being tempered in...I see lots of Guys having to get the heat out waaaaay too many times ....

And where the heck did you hear tempered hhb will take lots of set? A properly designed and tempered hhb for your intended weight and draw will be anything but set stricken...and if the stave has a medium to high crown on its back then trapping isn't nessicary ...i find just tempering,designing right,and tillering it well alone is good enough for the wood to get good results

[Blaflair2]

No not if it's tempered I mean if it's not it takes set. So I planned on tempering from the jump. But I was wondering if trapping the back helps too. Or is it one or the other? Or can I temper and trap? Do my dimensions seem ok? The tips will be thinned out more after bending

[blackhawk]

Oh....OK....you can temper and trap...if you think the wood is telling you that and that it needs it or not? I'd maybe start an 1 3/4" wide till mid limb,then taper to your tips...length sounds fine...and you can always narrow later if need be and its showing to be a good piece of wood...I always like to start out a lil bit wider than what final dimensions should be for a specific wood and type bow...it allows me margin of errror of reading the wood right or wrong...and sometimes you might have a poor piece of wood per species,or excellent....what exactly are your recurve dimensions intentions? How steep of recurves and how long? That might change your width etc..

[Blaflair2]

Not sure. Gotta make a caul. My last one broke and my bow tip busted me in the mouth  :embarassed:

I was thinking of recurring the last 4" of each limb. I'm aiming for about a 62" bow. I don't have a Ferreira rasp so it's kinda slow going. And my bandsaw took a dump. So I basicalled did it all with a chisel and draw knife. I'm gonna start chiseling the fade in the handle. I think in gonna get it all together and put it in the corner till I get means to get sinew. And a skin. The back had very light bug damage about 1/16". Once I scrape it it's basically gone but I think it's make the bow better n e who.

[blackhawk]

62" would be too short unbacked...and even might be too short sinew backed for that draw...everything would have to perfectly and masterfully executed IMHO...and can you post what you think is "bug damage"...its very common for hhb to have reddish-purpleish brown streaks in it looking like bad wood,when in fact its fine....

[Blaflair2]

It is already cut to 68" so I dunno. Maybe I'll make a bendy handle. Or maybe just flip the tips a little

[Marc St Louis]

68" should be fine for a 30" draw, 62" not so much.  I don't know who told you that HHB will take a lot of set if not heat-treated.  If it does then the wood hasn't seasoned long enough and/or is too wet.  There is no doubt though that heat-treating improves HHB.  If you do recurve it then keep the recurves small, like 2" to the apex of the bend.  The bow will perform just as well, if not better, and will be easier to tiller

[Blaflair2]

The stave is 68" long before I recurve. Should I not recurve it then Marc? I know your the HHB man. I've been drooling over that white lightning bow since I saw it. If I make it a bendy handle It could be shorter? I kinda like the bendy handle more. But I figured I'd try a static. But if I can save length and have decent hooks I'll make a bendy handle. Thanks

[Marc St Louis]

By all means bend recurves on the bow and 68" is plenty for a stiff handle bow and  30" draw.  If you want a D bow then you could cut 4" off the length, even more but then the tiller has to be impeccable. 

If I remember right White Lightning was 65" long for a 28" draw. 

There's no advantage in long "hooks", as you say, at least non in performance.  They do look better, up to a point.  When they get too long then the bow starts to look a bit funny, IMO.