Deflex splices

[Soggydog]

Out of curiosity, what makes splicing favorable to steam bending?

[sleek]

Steam bending a piece that thick and wide at that sharp an angle requures emense amount of work and luck.

[PatM]

There's no reason to leave it thick.  You add a build up to a splice so you can just do the same with a thinned handle.   If you narrow and flatten the midsection of a stave before you do anything else you can create far more leverage to bend the middle.

 I think a lot of people practically floor tiller a stave and then try to bend the handle into reflex or deflex.

[stuckinthemud]

If you were steaming the bend, could you thin the stave at the place you were bending and that way you would not damage the back of the bow?

[Marc St Louis]

The one problem with steam bending handle deflex is the potential for introducing twist, just a little bit of twist at the handle can give you some real headaches.

[PatM]

If you were steaming the bend, could you thin the stave at the place you were bending and that way you would not damage the back of the bow?

 That's what I said above.

 Twist can be an issue but it's easy enough to tweak things with dry heat after the initial bend is made.

[stuckinthemud]

If you were steaming the bend, could you thin the stave at the place you were bending and that way you would not damage the back of the bow?

 That's what I said above.

Oh bother, turns out my flash of inspiration was the last post I'd read. Sorry Pat I should read more slowly

 
In the same vein, would saw-kerfing work?

[vinemaplebows]

If you were steaming the bend, could you thin the stave at the place you were bending and that way you would not damage the back of the bow?

 That's what I said above.

 Twist can be an issue but it's easy enough to tweak things with dry heat after the initial bend is made.

I agree to a point, but there are some staves that even if straightened, will slowly over days begin their twist again. That is very frustrating.