Second heat treatments on bows

[BowEd]

These second heat treatments on bows during tillering do much good for keeping more reflex?I've got a winged elm close to being my draw weight.It's out to 23"@63#.Bending good and in tiller.I want 52#@28".

[Pat B]

Ed, if the bow doesn't show the affects of stress more heat treating can give you a bit more reflex but it could also add some more draw weight.

[SLIMBOB]

My experience yes.  Heat tempering has been an ongoing experiment for me for a couple of years.  I wont disagree with someone with more experience than me with it, but I have been tempering early at floor tiller and then again when I see that the tempered wood has been removed.  I think I may tiller a bit different than some guys, in that I floor tiller only to get the limbs bending evenly at 4 inches or so, then it's to the short string if possible, long string otherwise.  That means I am very heavy when I string it.  Lots of wood has to be removed, so I will temper again later.  Some guys get it real close during floor tiller which would mean they might not need to temper again.  This is white woods primarily, but Osage some as well.

[bushboy]

What slimbob said.

[BowEd]

Thanks fellas.This one was heat treated at about 15 to 20 pounds over draw weight at a good floor tiller.Tillering has removed most of treatment.It holds reflex yet.About 1and7/8" but only been pulled to 23".I'll tiller it out and see what it is.Then decide if I want to retreat it.I just kind of shy away from using too much heat on these wood bows.If I do I'd like to just side tiller it back to my draw weight keeping my heat treatment and reducing mass weight on my limbs.

[sleek]

You cant heat a bow to many times. You can get it to dry, and you can over heat it. You know that happens when your bow all of a sudden has a carbon belly. I have often had bellies open up cracks while reflexing after several heat treats in a row, probably to dry.