Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Aries on February 07, 2010, 03:20:14 pm

Title: Red oak board, and dry heat
Post by: Aries on February 07, 2010, 03:20:14 pm

I have a pretty nice red oak board, shaped out into a 67" pyramid bow right now (it is 1/3/4" at the fades and 1/4" at tips), and was considering flipping the tips to pep it up a little. I have only used dry heat on osage so i'm not sure how oak will respond.      also would a red oak board bow take well to having it's belly heat treated?     Thanks guys.. Ty

Title: Re: Red oak board, and dry heat
Post by: radius on February 07, 2010, 03:57:31 pm

well...last summer i recurved some white oak using heat...but i boiled the tips because dry heat just made the thing break.  even then, it was troublesome and i was forced to put belly underlays through the recurves to hide a few imperfections.  This was 1/4 sawn oak...

i have in the past recurved red oak successfully, but i  think it was plain sawn (i was a noob then) and i used steam.

Title: Re: Red oak board, and dry heat
Post by: El Destructo on February 07, 2010, 04:03:24 pm

Ty...I have never Heat Treated a Belly on a Bow ...yet...but I can tell you from experience...that Red Oak don't like being Dry Heated and Bent....I have developed a way of Boiling them...I shellac the Tips....boil in water for at least 30 Minutes a side...and I have my Tip Caul set in a Vise near by...when the Limb is done cooking...I hurry to the Caul...clamp the Tip in...and bend slowly till it is a bit further than you want...then let cool...another thing you can do to make sure that if there are any small Cracks is leave you Tips thicker than they will be...so you have room to remove wood...or clamp a thin piece of Metal to the Belly before Bending to control this from happening ...I just leave extra material...it's easier...JMO

Title: Re: Red oak board, and dry heat
Post by: sulphur on February 07, 2010, 07:08:25 pm

red oak + dry heat= dry heaves.  when it breaks you'll be sick.  el destructo's way sounds pretty sound though.

Title: Re: Red oak board, and dry heat
Post by: Aries on February 07, 2010, 07:34:58 pm

ok i like the boiling idea so far. i might have made a mistake in that thought though. i have already glued tips on... i used gorilla glue ::). so..   do you think i should expect them to fall off during the boiling process??    i wonder.

Title: Re: Red oak board, and dry heat
Post by: radius on February 07, 2010, 07:39:21 pm

if you've already glued on the tips, you have a couple options:

1.  take them off and make new ones later

2.  make it a straight bow and next time put the tips on after heat-bending the tips