New heat treating method??

[Badger]

   Is any one here familiar with that new method supposedly coming out. He is going to be putting out a book on it. I don't know what the procedure is but his bows did look impressive. I have a feeling that he is baking the raw stave before making the bow but that is only a guess. Most of the comments I have seen suggest he is a fraud but I am staying open minded on it.

[Nasr]

 Where can I see his bows ?

[Deerhunter21]

who is this?

[Badger]

  I don't remember his name, I saw it on facebook. There are so many groups on facebook not sure I could find it again.  Billy Berger is working with him.

[Badger]

  Look up "Fire dancer bows DVD"

[sleek]

Its Billy Berger. I'm sceptical, but Billy has been working for a long time to make a name for himself, and I doubt he would risk it on snake oil. I dont know what can be so special about this new method, but it's hard to believe there could be one at all, using primitive methods anyway.

Maybe keeping the back cool, but baking the bow as Badger suggests, the trick would have to be in the treatment of the back. Keeping it elastic after a heat treat. Perhaps they soak it in antifreeze to prevent the back from losing its elasticity at all, and bake the entire bow.

[Deerhunter21]

oh! i recognise him! hes the primitive pathways guy.

[Nasr]

I doubt its anything we haven't heard about. If this was legit they could have shown us a few example bows with stats. Set up a chronograph and that would speak for itself. By doing this they would prove there claim without revealing anything. I saw one reading in that video and it was in the 170. I don't really think that is all that different then what people are producing here in PA.

[sleek]

I doubt its anything we haven't heard about. If this was legit they could have shown us a few example bows with stats. Set up a chronograph and that would speak for itself. By doing this they would prove there claim without revealing anything. I saw one reading in that video and it was in the 170. I don't really think that is all that different then what people are producing here in PA.

Their biggest claim is that white woods will outperform osage with this new method. My thought is, if you are a good bowyer, there should be no difference anyway. I'm sure they have something,  but what that something is, idk.

[Badger]

  I think Billy Berger is helping him with the marketing but not the actual process. I saw some white wood bows the guy had that held a lot of reflex. I thought he was hitting in the 180's. The claim is that it will revolutionize white wood bow building.

[Badger]

  I saw something several years ago that talked about Indians seeking out fire hardened trees that didn't burn all the way up. I have a feeling he is somehow duplicating this process.

[sleek]

  I saw something several years ago that talked about Indians seeking out fire hardened trees that didn't burn all the way up. I have a feeling he is somehow duplicating this process.

Perhaps. I have made one fire killed white oak. The wood was destroyed from the rapid steam escape, it was micro splintered and failed. The bark was on it still.

[bjrogg]

I was wondering maybe like a burnt out canoe. Heat and burn out belly then split what was left.

I didn't watch the video. Is it only on Facebook?
Bjrogg

[PatM]

Heat treating the whole tree with fire was the reason behind the Natives looking for fire killed Ash trees and the like.

 The Cherokees are said to have a documented method of building  a controlled small fire around the base of a tree and managing it. Al Herrin had an article on this in TB magazine.

  There's probably nothing new to it.  Just a re-birth.

[sleek]

Heat treating the whole tree with fire was the reason behind the Natives looking for fire killed Ash trees and the like.

 The Cherokees are said to have a documented method of building  a controlled small fire around the base of a tree and managing it. Al Herrin had an article on this in TB magazine.

  There's probably nothing new to it.  Just a re-birth.

That's a best case scenario,  and honestly,  one I'm hoping for.