Correcting String Alignment

[Oldvol]

Can this situation be corrected? Hickory self bow, 64” ntn, asymmetrical. Lower limb out of alignment. Steam treated lower 1/3 of both limbs to remove twist. Steamed handle to correct alignment (unsuccessful). Fire hardened on a form to equalize limb reflex. Just put it on a short brace. Currently pulling 50# @ 18”. Target is 50# @ 28”. Bow wants to twist in my hand when pulled.

[BowEd]

Yes.Looks like a nice bow.Hickory can take multiple reheatings.As long as the rest of it is clamped in place so you don't lose what you did earlier.

[Oldvol]

Thanks

[Pat B]

Is it still twisting in your hand when drawn?

[BowEd]

I might add Oldvol it is a bit more stubborn to dry heat bend laterally [side to side] than osage but will give and stay if it gets hot enough and left to cool.

[George Tsoukalas]

On that limb is the wood removal even from each side. In other words, was the twist natural or created? The tiller looks excellent.

Usually a  picture  the other side will show the tiller to be off.

Jawge

[Oldvol]

George the twist was natural. The stave had a big knot in the center which is where I placed the handle. One side of the knot had twist and natural reflex. Other side had twist in opposite direction.

Pat B the handle tries to twist in my hand when drawn.

I clamped it to the reflex form this morning and applied dry heat. The tip needed to move 3/4” laterally to be centered. Moved it 1” and clamped it in place. Hope it holds.

Thanks for all the input. This is one great forum.

[bownarra]

For future reference you can avoid all these issues by not reducing the handles width until the bow is braced. Then put the bow in a vice, belly up, and position so the string is 'in the middle', once you can see where the string wants to sit you then shape the handle to the string. No heat needed and your bow won't be 'torquey'
To bend your bow straight is a task...you will need to make some sort of jig to hold the limbs in one plane whilst you clamp at the handle. Beware it will spring back a fair amount. You need to bend it past straight. Your best bet is steaming it whilst the bow is in the jig. Gradually tighten the clamps, giving it time in the steam between tightenings. Also beware that the fades are an area of big grain violations...they will only allow you to put so much sideways strain on the handle....good luck

[BowEd]

George the twist was natural. The stave had a big knot in the center which is where I placed the handle. One side of the knot had twist and natural reflex. Other side had twist in opposite direction.

Pat B the handle tries to twist in my hand when drawn.

I clamped it to the reflex form this morning and applied dry heat. The tip needed to move 3/4” laterally to be centered. Moved it 1” and clamped it in place. Hope it holds.

Thanks for all the input. This is one great forum.

It should.Hope so.
This is a version of what I think you are doing correct?

[Oldvol]

Thanks Bownarra that is good info.

BowEd that is similar to what I am doing.

[George Tsoukalas]

Goodpoint, Bownarra.
I also leave the nocks wide.
So when I encounter a twisting stave, oldval, I figure out where I should cut the nocks deeper on that side to stop the  twisting. Took me years to figure that out.
Later on you can pretty up the nock you cut deeper so to doesn't look deeper.
I am not sure heating will solve the twisting.awge

[Oldvol]

The dry heat did work. Alignment is much better unstrung but not perfect. Letting it rehydrate before bracing.

[Pat B]

I've found that hickory corrections work better with wet heat, steam or boil. In this case, steam. I've used dry heat(with oil) on minor correction and for belly tempering(without oil)with good results with hickory.
It looks to me from the back profile pic that the offset is in or at the handle on the right side. I think I'd steam the handle and both fades and clamp them to pull them into alignment.

[BowEd]

The dry heat did work. Alignment is much better unstrung but not perfect. Letting it rehydrate before bracing.

In an ideal or perfect process of of aligning such a bow with a propeller if the propeller is bad enough it's usually taken out along the way while heat treating and reflexing.Without that the propeller will become more pronounced with more reflex as is.
Static recurves will show it even more and more reheatings will be needed to align it.
Because yours is a straight tipped bow if the propeller is'nt that bad a little movement of the tip and twisting of the tip can bring it around to aling.
Just because a bow at rest with reflex shows a little misalignment does'nt mean it does'nt shoot pleasantly.Many times slight propellers will even flatten out when braced or drawn fully if tips are aligned well enough.
I hav'nt needed to steam a handle for alignment in over 10 years and if that is ever needed in the future when doing that roughing a bulbous handle out so the bending is done on either side of the grip in the narrower areas and not at the fades is the way to do that.Going a little past alignment because of a little spring back with steaming.
Laying bow by its fades on it's side in wooden chucks with a large C clamp onto the middle of the side of the grip to do the aligning.The fades never need to bend at all.
Good luck.

[Oldvol]

Thank you