Deflexing a Stave

[DC]

You may get lucky and the kerf of the hole saw will allow you to use the piece/plug you cut out. Steam the bow, put the plug back in the hole and bend the bow around it to tighten it back up. I'm going to try that with mine but I still won't get a real nice glue line I don't think. I'll post a picture after I clamp it all up. Oh, timer went, steaming is done, time to clamp it up.

[PatM]

I just freehand an arc  between the high points of the fades and then rasp out the dip, Steam and bend across my knee.  Then finesse the surface and a piece to fit.  Doesn't take long to match them up.

[DC]

Here it is all clamped up. The wedges under the tips tighten the bow around the plug. The glue line may improve when everything springs back a bit but I'm not holding my breath. I'll leave it for a couple of days I think.

[DC]

I just freehand an arc  between the high points of the fades and then rasp out the dip, Steam and bend across my knee.  Then finesse the surface and a piece to fit.  Doesn't take long to match them up.

I just don't have that much finesse. If I try that I usually have to try 2 or 3 times. I got lucky this time. I don't have much more dry OS to make more plugs. Do you think you could get away with just about any wood in there or should it be the best compression wood you've got?

[sleek]

The only problem I see is tje bend will focus on the center of tje cut out, just like a bow thats a straight non tillered stick will bend only in the center. May need to find a way to actuall tiller out that gap, so its a nice smooth bend and not abrupt.

[simk]

DC: same same should be allright i think - i dont think the wood gets stressed to the limits in the handle section. i'm pleased to watch your immediate progress, i'm a slower worker. sleek: tillering the gap, a new discipline . cheers

[willie]

another way to avoid all the bend in one place, of course for a bow handle one wouldn't need to go so deep

[simk]

evolution of mankind 

[DC]

But then you would have to know someone who could calculate the angle of the wedges . Too many glue joints I think, just asking for trouble.

[TorstenT]

DC, your idea with the circular cutouts would be ideal for a setback (e.g. for a 5-curve), too!
You could cut it out, steam it and insert a slightly curved bigger block fitting into the gap. This way, the setback will keep its depth and the block can’t pop out.
Cool! Gotta try this for sure! 

[PatM]

The thin spot in the center would need to bend too.  The transitions on the circular edges would almost surely separate under that backward bend.

[DC]

It was a real bear to get the piece to fit even close. If you figure a way to get a nice fit please post it. I put another piece over the bottom to tie it together. When I did mine I could see that with decent glue lines and a contrasting wood it would make a very nice handle. A leather wrap handle solved my glue lines.

[Eric Garza]

If you are going to invest all that effort, why not just cut the stave into billets and make a spliced, deflexed handle?

[DC]

I think we were kind of looking for an easier way. Didn't really find it.

[simk]

Splicing anxiety  never done that... and often i wouldn't shorten a stave