Author Topic: Bending Hackberry  (Read 6183 times)

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Offline Badger

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Re: Bending Hackberry
« Reply #15 on: December 12, 2013, 12:06:48 pm »
  Hackberry is rated as the most bendable wood in the U.S. and one of the most bendable woods in the world. With steam it will bend on a tighter radius than anything else. I never tried it with dry heat beyond reflexing.

blackhawk

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Re: Bending Hackberry
« Reply #16 on: December 12, 2013, 12:19:45 pm »
If I were you I'd kill two birds with one stone and correct it and temper it all in one shot...only time I use steam is when I'm bending sharp string contact recurves....other than that its dry heat for everything else no matter what wood I'm using

Offline Gaust

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Re: Bending Hackberry
« Reply #17 on: December 12, 2013, 01:28:01 pm »
When tempering, are you burning the wood brown?  Forgive me, but this new ground for me. 
George

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Bending Hackberry
« Reply #18 on: December 12, 2013, 01:33:19 pm »
Its not a burn, its a toasting. Turn your heat gun on high and hold it about 4" from the belly. When its turns a nice golden brown, move it down 1" and repeat until your at the end of the limb.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline smoke

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Re: Bending Hackberry
« Reply #19 on: December 12, 2013, 02:23:21 pm »
I just finished a hackberry bow (plan to hunt with it tonight!).  I was really impressed with the wood.  Only 1.5 inches at the fades and 62 inches tip to tip, I heat tempered it right after floor tillering, and again when I was done - got it to 58# at 28 which I thought was a feat well beyond my skill level . . . in fact it is beyond my skill level for most wood but not hackberry.

Offline Gaust

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Re: Bending Hackberry
« Reply #20 on: December 12, 2013, 05:40:48 pm »
Okay. Got it straightened out at least.  I'll wait a couple of weeks before I start final shaping and tillering, just to make sure it gets re-acclimated.  In the meantime, I've got it clamped in a reflex position.  I'll temper it again at the final stage.
George