Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: snag on August 15, 2012, 12:30:49 pm
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Someone generously traded me some osage for a yew stave. The osage has been down since '98. Is it too well seasoned
to steam and bend the tips when I get to that point?
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I would use dry heat if it was me. Steam might work but will sometime cause seasoned wood to check. :) Dry heat works well,just heat good and bend slow. :)
Pappy
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It depends on how mutch bend you want to put in it . A little bit on the ends or down the full length dry will work , but if you want lot of bend in the tips just steam the tips and not the whole stave .
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Like Pappy I use dry heat on osage especially well seasoned osage. I do use oil(cooking) to protect the wood from scorching though. I put the stave in the form and heat it until gravity begins to pull it down then I assist it and clamp it to the form to cool. I leave on the form until tomorrow and give it 3 or 4 dars to rehydrate before stressing it.
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I'm with Pappy. Dry heat on Osage. I have done it both ways. Really dry Osage has ended up with grain checks after steaming the tips. I coat it liberally with Crisco (seems to me to work better than liquid oil but that's just a feeling) and heat it slow and deep before bending.