how long do you wait to lock in a recurve

[bradsmith2010]

I am working on a  recurve, I just made the bend, and want to lock it in with dry heat,, how long do I wait,, 

[Pat B]

Brad, I give them 24 hours or at least over night. Others do a shorter time but I'd rather be sure the recurved don't come out.

[Marc St Louis]

I only wait till it's cold then lock it in

[bradsmith2010]

thanks guys,, I will do my best,, havent made a recurve in a long time,,

[Danzn Bar]

Yep Cold or room temp....
DBar

[ohma2]

Me too cold to the touch and its ready.

[bradsmith2010]

thanks guys,, I was thinking about it,, and I have not made a recurve like this for about 20 years,, I got so carried away seeing what I could do with the straight tip bows,, I have made some slightly flipped,, but this one is based off a bow I made 20 plus years ago,, one of my favorite bows,, I dry fired it and it broke in two,, I hope to apply some of the things I have learned from you guys and hopefully get a new favorite bow,,thanks for the input,,

[Badger]

   I have always had trouble with steamed yew recurves pulling out on me. Not all the way but more than I wanted.

[bradsmith2010]

I am mentally prepared for some of this to pull out,, I am not going to put an underlay,, I will just let it do what it wants to do,,, I am gonna pull the whole bow into reflex,, so hopeing it will maintain a nice profile,, with sinew on it,,

[rps3]

I never locked in a recurve with dry heat before. Of course I leave the curved area thicker so it doesnt pull out. Do you guys who do so feel that it allows you to remove much more wood from that area?

[bradsmith2010]

rps3,, I am pretty sure that is one of the reasons for doing so,, but I am still learning

[leonwood]

Wi

   I have always had trouble with steamed yew recurves pulling out on me. Not all the way but more than I wanted.

Did you give the a dry heat treatment after you steamed them? I found that with yew they don’t hold well when I only cook them. I boil my yew recurve and heat it with the heat gun at close range for about ten minutes the next day. On my last two yew recurves they hold their shape perfectly.

[bradsmith2010]

Leonwood,, do you leave it clampes down when you heat it,,to set it,,??