Steam bending heat treated wood

[DC]

I may have asked this before but can't remember. I want to bend recurves in this piece of Yew but I want to heat treat it thoroughly first because it's easier to do when it's flat. Am I going to have any problems steaming and bending the heat treated wood bending?

[bradsmith2010]

Might be harder to bend,,.I am just guessing

[PatM]

I don't like how that works.   Why not heat treat the working limb area and leave about 6 inches alone at the tips.  Steam and bend and then touch up the heat treating and give the recurves some dry heat after.

[DC]

Good idea Pat. I can wrap the end with tin foil while I'm treating it

[NonBacked]

DC – If you’re planning on static recurves, will you need to heat treat the tip area?

[DC]

DC – If you’re planning on static recurves, will you need to heat treat the tip area?

I don't think you have to depending on how well the wood you're using will hold shape with just steam. In my case it is a boo backed bow so that would hold the shape. I will heat treat the tips after I bend them though because heat treating makes the wood stronger so I can remove more.

[maitus]

Heat treating should also make wood lighter. Do You will heat treat already backed bow?

[DC]

No, I think the epoxy would let go. One of the problems with backed bows is that once the backing is on you can't /shouldn't heat it much again. It means that everything has to be right before the backing goes on.

[Marc St Louis]

I would not heat-treat before

[DC]

Can I ask why?

[bownarra]

Nor would I. Firstly what is the point. Heat weakens wood and you are going to give the tips a double exposure.... The wood would definitely not be able to be bent as it would if it were fresh. If a recurve 'pulls out' then you simply haven't got it hot enough when you steamed it in the first place. Any recurve I've bent with steam has not moved. All this 'setting with dry heat' is a bunch of cobblers, execution and design are what matter

[Stick Bender]

I did my current & previous bows very similar to what Patm sugested & have had no issues !

[PatM]

I hope you locked in the curve with dry heat  after still.

[Marc St Louis]

Can I ask why?

My experiences with heat-treating is that it decreases the wood's elasticity in tension....I would be worried about a tension failure

[DC]

I should have mentioned in the first post that this is a boo backed bow. Does that change anything?