Twist and shout

[Muskyman]

Starting a new one. Wanted to try something different and had this hickory stave with a bunch of propeller twist in it.  I figured I’d give it a shot and see what happens.
I’ll post more pictures as I move forward.  Going to try and straighten one limb at a time and see how it goes.

[WhistlingBadger]

Cool.  With hickory being so resistant to breaking, even with grain run-outs and back violations, I've long wondered if you could make a bow out of twisted hickory and just leave it twisted.  I bet you could get away with it if you kept the weight fairly low.  It would be interesting to try, and you might end up with a bow that looked like a narwhal horn!

[Pat B]

You could tiller the twist out of it so it's straight at full draw.

[Muskyman]

You might could do that Pat, I doubt I could.  I was thinking about steaming it out then using dry heat to set the limbs. I don’t know if that will work but that was my thinking.  I tried very hard to follow the grain in the stave. It’s 70 inches long and 1&1/2 wide at the fades. Planning on a pyramid style bow. Probably has 1/4 turn of twist to it.
Anyone ever done that? Can it be done?  I really don’t know.

[Selfbowman]

I’ve done it with Osage. But it’s easier to cut the center of the bow on the belly side of handle until It’s about 3/4”  then heat and twist the handle section. That gets  a lot of the propeller out. I did a bow build on here with that method. I shined the sawed section and did a glue on to the belly of handle. You can also put reflex or deflex in the handle at that point.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

That twist should pull out no problem while heat treating. Get it floor tillered for minimal wood thickness then make a couple wedges from pine so it’s softer than the hickory. Use the wedges to twist the limbs about 20% further than thy currently are while heating, once locked in where you want scorch the snot out of the belly.

You could also leave that amount of twist, it’s not a problem at all. This spring I did an Osage where one limb had about 80* of twist and I left it. It shoots fine. Just use a single side nock in the high side of the limb and the string will stay put

Kyle

[Muskyman]

Thanks for all the replies. I’m not sure how I’m going to attack this thing yet but did get some interesting feedback. I did work on it some today and have it shaped, mostly.
1-1/2 at the fades and about 3/8 at the tip. 70 inches long. It’s at floor tiller and bending somewhat.

[Pappy]

I have done a lot of Hickory , you can take that out pretty easy with dry heat, I usually on one with a lot of propeller take it out in 2 or 3 sessions , or what every it takes, be patent, it will sometimes rupture the back if you try and take it all at once. 
 Pappy

[Muskyman]

Thanks Pappy, I think I’ll try it your way. Do one limb at a time and see what I can do with it. Once I get the twist out I’ll probably clamp it and try to add a little reflex.  I’ve actually got about 6-8 staves from the same tree and all of them have the prop twist. If I don’t make a bow from this one I can try again on another one. Never a waste of time trying to make a bow.