Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: uncleduck on November 12, 2012, 10:02:07 pm
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I cut a beautiful piece of rocky mtn juniper (straight grained and only 3 pin knots in the whole 54") about 1.5 months ago, stripped the back and sealed it up with some glue. As it sits now, it is pretty much a board, about 3 inches wide x 1.5 thick and back is just below where the bark used to be. I neglected to strap it to a board and it is starting to get some prop twist to it, so I was thinking if I was going to clamp it down now, I might as well reduce it down closer to bow shape and steam in some recurves like the ones shown in TBB1, letting it season the rest of the way clamped on the form before tillering come spring time. Is this going to negatively effect anything? Should I wait until it is completely seasoned before doing any steaming? Thanks.
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If you steam it now, while the wood is still a little green, the bending will be more effective. When it dries out, dry heat should be used or you may get some cracking/checking with steam.
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i wouldnt bother with steaming the ashe juniper we have hear is super easy to heat treat.
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Juniper tends to move allot while drying. As Crafty said it will be easy now and if reduced would season faster, but no guaranty it will stay. It is generally easy to move with dry heat. Green wood = wet heat / Dry wood = dry heat
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Well I got it reduced to almost a bow shape. Left it a little wide and steamed it and clamped it to a jig I already had made to put a tid bit of reflex in it and take the prop twist out. I don't have any other bow wood now so I figured I'd leave this one on the jig until spring to prevent any other movement as it dries the rest of the way, and then use dry heat to put the recurves in at that point when I get a recurve jig made up. Thanks for the help guys.
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Cool. :)