Author Topic: Anyone Tried a Clothes Iron for Heat Treating?  (Read 2671 times)

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Offline Del the cat

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Anyone Tried a Clothes Iron for Heat Treating?
« on: December 02, 2014, 11:12:56 am »
I was wondering if the very localized heat would allow you to heat treat say a backed or even laminated bow without overheating the glue line.
Now I know it's probably a daft idea, but I'll bet one of you guys will have tried it :laugh:
I was thinking it might re-vitalised a tired old 50# laminated bow if it was reduced to 40 and the heat treated....
Call me mad if you like... I'm tough, I can take it :laugh:
Del
(Worst case, I'll end up with a crease free bow ::) )
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Offline Knoll

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Re: Anyone Tried a Clothes Iron for Heat Treating?
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2014, 11:58:48 am »
... (Worst case, I'll end up with a crease free bow ::) )
and I'd end up w/ The Wife's wrath!
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline Blaflair2

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Re: Anyone Tried a Clothes Iron for Heat Treating?
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2014, 11:59:04 am »
I thought about that. Was gonna try it on a stave
Nothing ventured nothing gained

Offline JonW

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Re: Anyone Tried a Clothes Iron for Heat Treating?
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2014, 12:37:27 pm »
I think I remember Steve saying he tried it

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Anyone Tried a Clothes Iron for Heat Treating?
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2014, 01:08:07 pm »
I think it might be good on the narrow belly of an ELB. Might be tricky to get even contact on something wider.
Del
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Offline JoJoDapyro

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Re: Anyone Tried a Clothes Iron for Heat Treating?
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2014, 01:45:26 pm »
... (Worst case, I'll end up with a crease free bow ::) )
and I'd end up w/ The Wife's wrath!

My wife doesn't Iron. About the only thing she wont do!
If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
27 inch draw, right handed. Bow building and Knapping.

Offline Springbuck

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Re: Anyone Tried a Clothes Iron for Heat Treating?
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2014, 01:54:06 pm »
  On a flat belly with lots of contact, it certainly gets hot enough, if you have enough contact area.  Hard to do the fades.  Still wouldn't trust it with the glue lines, unless the belly was very thick.

 I have a mind like yours, always trying to figure out wha I can get away with.  I have been tempted to place a wet towel under the back to keep the back under 250 degrees, and see what happens.

Offline scp

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Re: Anyone Tried a Clothes Iron for Heat Treating?
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2014, 02:36:56 pm »
I tried once. Not enough contact or patience. I spent many hours looking into flexible heating strips. But I haven't purchased anything yet. Not quite willing to go the way of laminated bow makers yet.