Boiling Hickory

[ShorterJ]

I may have unintentionally “heat treated” it— there was no color change.  I was really just trying to make sure it was dry; however, I did notice the stave held the shape of the form after smoking it.  So it did get hot enough to plasticize. My initial plan was to make sure it was dry by leaving it in the smoke tent, boil and bend it, and then actually heat treat.  Maybe the heat exposure messed it up the first time when it was in the smoke tent.  Anyways thank you all for the help!

[superdav95]

I may have unintentionally “heat treated” it— there was no color change.  I was really just trying to make sure it was dry; however, I did notice the stave held the shape of the form after smoking it.  So it did get hot enough to plasticize. My initial plan was to make sure it was dry by leaving it in the smoke tent, boil and bend it, and then actually heat treat.  Maybe the heat exposure messed it up the first time when it was in the smoke tent.  Anyways thank you all for the help!

Ya it may have just been enough heat to partially change the state of the wood.  The indicator would be that it held shape to some degree after removing from the form.  Green wood will just slowly come back mostly.  I think from the sounds of it that you partial heat treated the bow which may have been the cause perhaps of the splitting when curving the tips.  Best of luck