Best bow woods for heat-bending

[Papa Matt]

Brothers~

  What bow woods respond the best, and what ones respond the least to heat for things like taking out a bend or for recurving?

~~Papa Matt

[Dano]

Yew is the worst at taking dry heat that I've seen, osage being the best at it.

[Kegan]

I use dry heat for bending from belly to back, and steam for left to right and recurves. So far, all the woods I've worked have responded this- oak, hickory, elm, sassafras, hornbeam, and osage.

[PeteC]

Papa Matt,I've only used: osage,elm,hickory,hophornbeam,hornbeam,and red oak,(all from staves),but it all bent good for me. Surely some experts will jump on and tell you what you need.  God Bless

[richpierce]

Black locust will also bend front to back well with dry heat.  I have more trouble taking out side to side curves no matter what wood.

[Ryano]

I've read that hack berry is supposed to be about as bendy as it comes......no personal experience with it though. Osage definitely heat bends better than most white woods though.

[GraemeK]

Beech is considered to be the best wood for steam bending and is what bent wood chairs are made out of -- no idea if anyone makes bows out of it as it does not grow in Australia. Out of the traditional bow woods Osage is definitely  the best I have found.

Graeme

[JackCrafty]

Green wood is the only stuff I'll try to bend anymore.  Dry wood is just too much trouble....even when steamed for a long time.  Some dry wood tends to check after steaming (as it dries out)...and dry heat makes some dry wood more brittle.

The wood that has steam bent well (for me) is elm, osage, locust, and mulberry.  I haven't tried ash or white oak....I've heard these steam bend well also.

Dry heat seems to work on on osage and locust.  Dry heat on red oak was very disappointing....although I've heard that it steams well.

Also, I've learned a lot from sites that deal with boat building (canoes and kayaks).

[Hillbilly]

Osage and locust are the two easiest woods to heat bend that I've tried-they turn almost to rubber with some heat. Hickory and elm are fairly easy, but I've never had much luck bending ash.

[sailordad]

ive only bent wood once, osage with dry heat,my little bow i call "sliver" 5/8ths wide by about 5/8ths thick,once it got hot it was like a piece of licorice


but i do have a hick board bow that has some deflex in one limb i need to get rid of, i think i'll try steam on that one and see what happens


                                                                     tim

[Justin Snyder]

Tropicals (Ipe & purple heart) dont bend worth a darn!

[Papa Matt]

Right on, thanks for all the replies brothers!

~~Matt

[Mark Smeltzer]

With dry heat, I have had the best luck with Osage. The worst luck with Yew.
Mark