Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: dane lund on July 14, 2015, 02:05:14 pm

Title: Too much reflex?
Post by: dane lund on July 14, 2015, 02:05:14 pm

I am about at floor tiller on a Vine Maple D bow for my grandson.  The stave initially had about 3" of reflex, but after reducing the stave to floor tiller, I put it away for a few days, mad now it has over 6" of reflex.
Before tillering, should I put this on my reflex form, and heat the reflex out?
Evidently, the stave has dried more since traveling from Oregon to Arizona.
Thanks in advance.

Title: Re: Too much reflex?
Post by: Badger on July 14, 2015, 02:27:04 pm

   That stave is too wet to go beyond floor tiller, I would give it at least a few more weeks. I would as you say reduce the reflex back to no more than 3". Maybe you could lash it down in the form.

Title: Re: Too much reflex?
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on July 14, 2015, 02:45:26 pm

I agree with Steve. Dry wood wont move that much, green wood will.

Title: Re: Too much reflex?
Post by: Gordon on July 14, 2015, 02:59:18 pm

With vine maple you will not be able to remove the reflex with heat - it will just come back.

Title: Re: Too much reflex?
Post by: wizardgoat on July 14, 2015, 04:20:57 pm

You could try to steam some deflex in the handle area.

Title: Re: Too much reflex?
Post by: dane lund on July 14, 2015, 06:38:21 pm

OK, I clamped it down to my reflex form.  It forms in about 3".
How long should I let it sit there before continuing?  Humidity here is usually in the single digit area. We are having our monsoon season, but only about 15% right now.
A week or two?

Title: Re: Too much reflex?
Post by: Gordon on July 15, 2015, 01:35:00 am

Good luck with clamping it down. But I predict that when you take it out of the form it will creep right back to where it was. The only way that I've been successful at removing excess reflex from vine maple that grew under tension is tillering it out.

Title: Re: Too much reflex?
Post by: mikekeswick on July 15, 2015, 03:32:26 am

Single digit humidity  :) 15% in monsoon season?!? I'm just about to have to build myself a building to store all my wood in with dehumidifiers running full time....to combat our always high humidity which never goes below 50%, average of more like 80%....my wood never gets dry.... :(
Sorry I can't help you with vine maple other than to go with what wizrdgoat said - I'd steam defelx into the handle. Sure you could tiller the reflex out but that basically means that you've just got a bunch of set. Set = slower returning limbs.

Title: Re: Too much reflex?
Post by: Gordon on July 15, 2015, 09:23:05 am

Quote

Sure you could tiller the reflex out but that basically means that you've just got a bunch of set. Set = slower returning limbs.

That is true of every wood I've worked with except highly tensioned vine maple.