Waiting after tempering, how long?

[Marc St Louis]

Don
By trying to tiller the bow too soon after tempering.  Hot wood dries out fast and when you temper a bow the back gets hot = dry.  The outer surface of the wood is where it is the driest and dry wood becomes brittle in tension hence a tension failure.

[Don Case]

Were you tempering the belly or the back or both? All I've heard of is tempering the belly and I didn't think that would affect the back.
Thanks
Don

[blackhawk]

Cool Marc...good to know my findings are the same as lennies ...and I don't blame ya for waiting now...if that happened to me I'd wait too all it takes is once......I must be on one loooooong  lucky streak 

@Don....just the belly...but when tempering proper the heat will penetrate so far the back will actually be too hot to touch

[NeolithicMan]

So I think that the next bow I am going to try Bhawks method. If it works for me I will let ya know. This one is for someone and I would rather play it safe and wait even if it doesnt matter (good trade). Next one will be a little more simple too.

[blackhawk]

I wouldn't quite call it my method,and how I've handled every bow I've made....I've just personally seen firsthand others and myself start bending them the same day they were tempered or before 24 hours of tempering them with great success and no issues in doing so...

[PEARL DRUMS]

The only reason I wait anymore than a half day is because Im busy with other stuff. Ive never had one break or crack. I don't weigh them either, don't even have a scale to do that. I use dry wood, not sure of the MC as I don't calculate that either. My approach has ZERO to do with proving anybody or any theory wrong, I have no patience and ADD hits hard in the shop.

[dwardo]

Usually a minimum of 24 hours. Mostly my coincidence as I do most of my bowing at night when the littlun is asleep. By the time its cooled down I will probably be in bed and then its another days before I get chance to work on it again.
Also the RH here works in my favour, currently about 81% outside, about the norm for most of the year.

[Pappy]

Good info,but I will just wait,no big deal ,got plenty of other stuff to do,and like you said Chris it just takes one to make you say,man maybe if I had just waited.
Back to the question,I guess you can go for it or just wait,  I don't know.   I do know one thing waiting for sure ant going to hurt anything,thats why I wait.   
 Pappy

[Del the cat]

Don
By trying to tiller the bow too soon after tempering.  Hot wood dries out fast and when you temper a bow the back gets hot = dry.  The outer surface of the wood is where it is the driest and dry wood becomes brittle in tension hence a tension failure.

V true.
I usually try to protect the back if possible, supporting the bow on a narrow plank edge rather than a 3x2, allows heat to blow past the back, a few layers of tape can help too
Sometimes clamp thin slats to the sides of the bow, this helps direct heat along the belly, (which can speed up the process a tad) as well a keeping it off the back.
Having said all that, it is hard to stop some leakage of hot air (happens when ever I open my big mouth ).
I especially take care with Yew... don't want to disscolour that pretty sapwood
Del

[Tom Leemans]

Something, something, err on the side of caution, something..... That has always been a good policy, and until someone has been kind enough to amass all the scientific data and publish it, that's a pretty sound policy.  I have yet to see such data because we're all too busy enjoying our bows.