Tips for bending hickory?

[Mafort]

So I’ve got a nice 50” peice of hickory and I would like to make it into a little recurve for one of the kids down the street. Not looking for much in draw weight. Anyways I want to recurve it but I’m not wanting an overly severe recurve. Maybe put some reflex in there in the handle area make it a 5 curve. The kids got a short draw length of maybe 20-22”. Any advice. I used dry heat last time to recurve it and almost cracked the wood so would steam be a better choice?

[Deerhunter21]

i would steam it. then heat treat the bow. then go from there.

[Mafort]

I figured that might be a better choice. Cracked the tip on a 60” stave of hickory using dry heat and  and had to shorten it. I was not a happy camper

[PatM]

Soak and boil is best but steam can work well too.

[silent sniper]

I just did a few sharp recurves in hickory billets and they are a real pain compared to Osage. I boiled for an hour and a half and they still cracked.  Next time I am going to soak the tips for a day or three before I boil and bend them. Good luck 👍🏻

[Flntknp17]

I have tried both dry heat and boiling in the last month.....the dry heat was not successful and I only achieved a small "flip" of the tips and had real issues with cracking. 

Last week, I put some ~60 degree recurves in the tips of a 62" stave that was just over a half inch thick where I bent it.  I had some very minor surface cracking, but nothing unexpected and it went better than I was anticipating.  I boiled the tips for an hour in a large stock pot covered with foil and then bent them ASAP on my jig with a sheet metal strap over the belly, which appeared to be effective at preventing splinters.  I definitely wouldn't go less than an hour on a half inch thickness though.  It definitely was not as flexible as osage would have been with similar treatment.

Matt

[BowEd]

It's definitely consistently possible as I've done it many times with hickory steaming them up to 70 degree recurves at 9/16" thick on a pot on the stove.Proper prep of rounding corners on belly is a must to do.Soaking in water prior good idea too but I've never needed to,nor have I needed any type strap to prevent splinters.After cooling off and drying out I heat temper them with heat gun and lock it in.
an example on hickory at around 50 to 60 degree.Go for it and good luck.

[bjrogg]

I like your caul Ed. I have one similar but I like how you have two and different curves on each end of them. Very versatile.
Bjrogg
PS sorry can’t help you with the hickory, but I do like Ed for HHB only I do use a thin metal backer.

[BowEd]

I have many recurve cauls BJ with identical narrower matching ones to dry heat treat lock in the steamed in curve avoiding any burning of the backs of recurves.Along with a bunch of full length cauls of different designs.

[bjrogg]

The possibilities are enormous Ed. I like it.
Bjrogg

[BowEd]

I guess but the proper preperations are the same for success.

[Allyn T]

Ed those are badass, and you sir are awesome.