Steam box for bows?

[TacticalFate]

I know most of you use dry heat to remove twist, straighten staves, and so on. However, I have a steam box that I built to make snowshoes that will fit a bow (or at least a limb), and I've used it to easily take out the twist on two really twisted buckthorn staves so far, though I haven't made bows from them yet. Do any of you use steam for untwisting or lateral corrections? I was wondering if steaming weakened the wood, and if this was a good idea at all.

[Don Case]

I've used a steam box and it worked well. The only complaint I have is that it seems to fade the colour of the wood and at the same time it kinda softens the surface. Nothing that a touch of sandpaper won't fix but it makes you wonder. This only happens with a long steam 45 min to an hour.
Don

[Bogaman]

I used to steam everything when I first started. It works as good as the heat gun. You just have to act quickly after taking it out of the steam source. Everything needs to be set up before hand. Learning just how much to move the stave so that it is where you want it after the process is the trick. Some of the untwisting returns after things cool off. Of course one has to deal with that to some extent with a heat gun.
Don't do like me and forget you have something in the steamer, especially if you have everything set up in the kitchen. Wives don't seem to appreciate the results of such an accident:^(

[Pappy]

I use steam on green/or un seasoned wood,my rule is less than 2 years I use steam at least on the first straighting,if it is older than that I usually use heat.
Steam old wood it is likely to check,heat green wood and it will most times check.
  Pappy

[ohma2]

I use a 6'section of stove pipe with a t in the middle set over a big pot of water both ends capped.sreams the whole bow at ounce, like pappy said no dry or seasoned wood though.

[ohma2]

I would add that saving some of the water makes a good white wood dye.

[Onebowonder]

I would add that saving some of the water makes a good white wood dye.

It also does a lovely job of staining concrete.  I just wish I had spread it evenly across the whole floor of the garage instead of pooled up in just a puddle in the middle.  Guess I'll have to steam some more bow limbs to match-up the rest of the floor.   

OneBow