Author Topic: Just how much bend can yew straighten  (Read 1821 times)

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Offline stuckinthemud

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Just how much bend can yew straighten
« on: October 26, 2020, 01:12:01 pm »
I've posted this branch before, still dithering, haven't gone to the darkside and carved it up but after 5 yrars of tripping over it, I've got to do something with it. It's just ovrr 6ft long, 3.5 inches diameter at centre, 4 large knots but they can all be worked around
  Can this much deflex be straightened out, its grown in deflex,  not much of it is warped in by drying.  There's also 80 degrees of heli twist but thet'll heat out no problem. If you think there's no bow in there,  then just say so, a blunt answer is better then no answer, I'll use it for a harp or something.


« Last Edit: October 26, 2020, 01:51:02 pm by stuckinthemud »

Offline DC

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Re: Just how much bend can yew straighten
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2020, 01:51:50 pm »
Are you going to use dry heat to get the twist out? If so maybe reflex it a bunch at the same time. You've got nothing to lose.

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Just how much bend can yew straighten
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2020, 07:26:59 pm »
wow thats a crazy one,,I feel like you should try, I have my best interest in mind, cause I want to see what happens since im not doing the work,, :)

even if you cant get it as straight as you like, maybe get a string on it so it shoots,, it does look bad though,, (-S

Offline Allyn T

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Re: Just how much bend can yew straighten
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2020, 08:00:32 pm »
Can you make a inside out bow and that way it will be reflex instead
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Offline druid

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Re: Just how much bend can yew straighten
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2020, 12:40:59 am »
Straightening deflex is possible. To minimize it to acceptable point. Detwisting- I am not sure. Now I do not detwist my bows, results I had before were not constant.

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Just how much bend can yew straighten
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2020, 02:43:38 am »
IMO It's fine, that should straighten out ok. The twist isn't too bad. The deflex may tend to come back, and need heat treating on the belly to fix it in place.
I'd get it reduced as much as possible before corrections. You can always leave some deflex in the middle for a deflex/reflex design.
Often corrections need to be done more than once as the bow progresses.
Worst case, it ends up a poor performer, but you've gained experience and hopefully enjoyed the process :)
Del
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bownarra

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Re: Just how much bend can yew straighten
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2020, 02:51:26 am »
Why bother go and cut a nice piece of wood :)
Sure you can get a bow out of it but it won't be worth the effort, when all is said and done.

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Just how much bend can yew straighten
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2020, 07:46:25 am »
If it was mine I would cut it right in the middle of the hump(which looks in the middle of the stave) and splice what are now the tips into the handle while adjusting as much of the twist out with the splice. You would already have flipped tips this way and have much less overall heat correction to do. I have never been able to get a hump that abrupt out of a stave.

On wood like that I do weird things to try to save them as bow wood, mostly just to see if I can.

Offline stuckinthemud

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Re: Just how much bend can yew straighten
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2020, 06:36:04 am »
Thanks all, if you think it has possibilities I'll square it off and take it down to 2 inches wide and see what's what.

Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: Just how much bend can yew straighten
« Reply #9 on: October 30, 2020, 10:08:06 pm »
If it was mine I would cut it right in the middle of the hump(which looks in the middle of the stave) and splice what are now the tips into the handle while adjusting as much of the twist out with the splice. You would already have flipped tips this way and have much less overall heat correction to do. I have never been able to get a hump that abrupt out of a stave.

On wood like that I do weird things to try to save them as bow wood, mostly just to see if I can.

Yep, till I got to your comment , thinking the same thing, but I would use the log whole for straighten the soon to be billet....leverage.
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