Heat bending hickory?

[Mo_coon-catcher]

My next day off I’m going to be heat treating another hickory bow. But every time I bend I’m some reflex while heat treating it pulled right out on the next trip to the tree. Going right back to it’s original shape. Do I need to heat it hotter, longer to help it keep the reflex, or is this just a chharacteristic of hickory. The last couple I did, I heat treated before first brace and a second time at 22” draw. Between the two heat treats they picked up a lot of draw weight. But went to their original shapes right away..

So any tips on getting this one to hold the reflex?

Thanks,
Kyle

[Pat B]

Hickory need to be steamed to keep it's bends. I've had some luck with dry heat(heat treating) hickory but for more substantial bending steam it the way to go. How dark did you get the belly when you heat treated it? I like to get it a dark chocolate brown for good results.

[Danzn Bar]

 +1what pat said

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I’ve never tried steam bending hickory. I may try it this time. I typically take it to a milk chocolate brown color. I’m going for a heavy draw on this one, but would also like to get a little reflex in it.

Kyle

[Eric Krewson]

I have some beautiful dog legged hickory staves that always go back even after multiple steamings in a steam tube. I have always had trouble correcting hickory sideways but it bends fairly well putting statics in and keeps the bend.

[Pat B]

And once you've steamed and bent the wood and given it a few days to dry you can heat treat the bend to set it.

[ohma2]

Steam it well and set with dry heat always worked for me.