Author Topic: heat treat question (Read 2684 times)

steve b. · « **on:** November 05, 2013, 11:46:44 pm »

I cooked the belly on a short and fat vinemaple bow today. It was nearly perfectly straight and the wood was bone dry for sure. I used the same medium that i used on a hazelnut and an oak bow a few weeks ago--bees wax/olive oil, and it worked fine then. This time the bow, well, took a set. It curled up from nearly straight to over 2" of set. After cooling it dropped down to 2" but seems to have stabilized.
Anyone know wasup?

Josh B · « **Reply #1 on:** November 06, 2013, 12:01:22 am »

Don't use oil when your heat treating and you'll have a better outcome. Dry heat to temper. Oil to bend. That's the way I do er anyway. I usually let it sit for a couple days to rehydrate after heat treating to. Reduces the risk of blowing em up. Just my .02. Josh

Pat B · « **Reply #2 on:** November 06, 2013, 12:27:04 am »

2x what Gun Doc said.

NeolithicMan · « **Reply #3 on:** November 06, 2013, 12:45:03 am »

I read about oil and or water applications to the bows BACK while the belly is being tempered to protect the back. I 3rd Gun Doc's diagnosis, dry for belly temper and oil/water for the bending.

blackhawk · « **Reply #4 on:** November 06, 2013, 07:38:05 am »

Clamp it down next time...

Buckeye Guy · « **Reply #5 on:** November 06, 2013, 07:50:54 am »

What Chris said !
Clamp it where you want it to be or it will go where it wants !
Guy

Badger · « **Reply #6 on:** November 06, 2013, 08:59:55 am »

Heat treating is a huge help in preventing set but a bow still has to follow all the rules to avoid set. It has to have enough wood for the bow you are making and it has to be tillered out properly. 2" is not horrible but possibly the bow is underbuilt for the application or even possibly still has high moisture.

BowEd · « **Reply #7 on:** November 06, 2013, 09:52:16 am »

Yep I bet the moisture leaving was a factor in your reflex there.Too much at it'll check on ya.

steve b. · « **Reply #8 on:** November 06, 2013, 12:44:11 pm »

OK, thanks for the feedback. This one hurt a little. I spent a good two full days making and installing levers for this bow and another day working the tiller and getting the handle to start to bend.

It WAS getting thin, like 1/2" or thinner. I'll go ahead and tiller it more and see if scraping takes some of the "bad" wood off. But I want to at least test the strength of the levers.........