Heat Treating Question

[mmattockx]

For the guys that heat treat do you leave the bow on the caul until it is cool and then remove it to rehydrate while relaxed or do you leave it on the caul for several days while it rehydrates? The wood in question is maple and red oak if that matters at all.


Thanks,
Mark

[Jakesnyder]

Some leave it a couple days. I've always waited at least a few hours if not overnight.

[Stick Bender]

I wait tell it cools at least 45min & then let it set 9 days or more to rehydrate !

[osage outlaw]

I leave it overnight. 

[bownarra]

As soon as it is cold you can bend again.

[Pat B]

...yeah, but be sure it has cooled all the way through. I wait at least over night and if I'm gonna draw it more than half way I leave it for a few days.

[PatM]

A few days at least.

[willie]

are you heat treating to reshape or just to harden the belly?

[mmattockx]

are you heat treating to reshape or just to harden the belly?

Mostly to harden the belly wood, but I like that I can pull some of the set out after I finish tillering. I am not trying to significantly alter the side profile at all, just get it back closer to straight.


Mark

[willie]

I like that I can pull some of the set out after I finish tillering.

is it better to heat treat before the bow takes set or the belly acquires much cell compaction? maybe at 20"- 22"

[mmattockx]

is it better to heat treat before the bow takes set or the belly acquires much cell compaction? maybe at 20"- 22"

Good question, one for the experts on heat treating here. It wasn't my plan to allow a bow to take a lot of set and then count on heat treating to remove some of it. I just look at it as a bonus side effect of the heat treating after the bow is tillered. Avoiding set in the first place will always be the better way to go overall.


Mark

[willie]

Avoiding set in the first place will always be the better way to go

Of course. Its just that there is also the so called "compaction" or "hidden set" that occurs before apparent set becomes noticeable. I recall some one heat treating as they go or maybe twice? Just cant recall the details or the outcome.

My thought is that with all the TLC we give to a piece of wood from beginning to end, any way to prevent damage is worthwhile.

[scp]

All depends on how deep was the heat treating. Until several months ago, I did not do any full heat treating of the whole belly. After I got the silicon heating pad, I have been heat treating many of my old bows, over twenty of them for now. When I did really deep heat treating to make the belly dark brown, I gave them more than a week to rehydrate. Still I suddenly broke two old oak bows on full draw, after many years of no such failure. They have been heat treated with the heating pad for more than an hour until the wood smoked a little. That was clearly too much. Now I stop at light brown and never more than a hour. I also simply measure the weight of the bow in grains and wait until it stops getting heavier or even lighter. Be safe.

[DC]

All depends on how deep was the heat treating. Until several months ago, I did not do any full heat treating of the whole belly. After I got the silicon heating pad, I have been heat treating many of my old bows, over twenty of them for now. When I did really deep heat treating to make the belly dark brown, I gave them more than a week to rehydrate. Still I suddenly broke two old oak bows on full draw, after many years of no such failure. They have been heat treated with the heating pad for more than an hour until the wood smoked a little. That was clearly too much. Now I stop at light brown and never more than a hour. I also simply measure the weight of the bow in grains and wait until it stops getting heavier or even lighter. Be safe.

Do you mind telling me where you got your silicone pad? I would rather buy one I know works.

[willie]

scp,
when using the silicone pad. have you measured the temp of the back during a treating session, or tried to draw the heat off the back or keep it moist during the treatment? I presume the broken bows broke in tension from a too dry back? (or the back is now effectively working against a different belly "design")

thanks