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Author Topic: Twisty Bamboo  (Read 4533 times)

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Offline agd68

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Twisty Bamboo
« on: June 07, 2011, 09:09:48 am »
Hey All, I been making a batch of arrows from bamboo tomato stakes. They straighten really well with the heat gun. The touble is they're hard as hell to temper. It takes alot of direct heat to get a spot to start to toast and when I'm done, all the original bends are back in the shaft. Has anyone experienced this ? Am I doing something wrong ?  ???
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Offline hillbilly61

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2011, 09:24:17 am »
 I wonder the same thing and use a heat gun too. This is a question I'll add too if you don't mind? While straightening with the heat gun, won't the heat also temper the shaft?
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Offline jonathan creason

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2011, 11:10:46 am »
I've got to where I go through once and get things sort of straight, then temper.  After that I'll let them sit a couple of days and go back and do the final straightening from there.
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Offline crooketarrow

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2011, 02:05:32 pm »
   I do as jonathen I prestraighten then temper then finish. Hillbilly when heating to only straighten it will only temper that heated spot and not the whole shaft.
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Offline hillbilly61

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2011, 02:40:16 pm »
 OK thanks. I'm heating the whole shaft. When I straighten between the nodes, I heat the whole area. No particular reason, just do. Then when those are done, I go back and do the nodes. So. Does that mean the shaft is heat treated?
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I will say of the Lord,"He is my refuge and my fortress;
  My God, in Him I will trust."  Psalm 91:2

Offline agd68

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2011, 05:54:10 pm »
From my understanding HillBilly, the shaft will turn a light toast color when tempered so if it's nicely toasted when you got it straight it should be tempered.
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Offline aero86

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2011, 02:18:27 am »
if the bend is returning, your not getting it hot enough.  if your careful, you dont have to burn the shaft to get enough heat either.  if you watch when your heating a spot, it will appear to turn waxy.  then its ready to bend.  it will bend easily, so be careful you dont bend it too far.  i use a 2 temp heat gun, and use it on the low setting.  ive never tempered the shafts ive made.  the tonkin stakes your using is usually strong enough to stay straight for a long time.  ive done plenty of unintentional tests to prove it! lol
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Offline hillbilly61

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2011, 10:30:51 am »
aero86...That's the method I do and have really good luck. I hate when I get one too hot >:( It either folds or the node snaps :-\

agd68...I don't know about the color changing that way. Never tried it. I just put them in the sun for a few days.
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I will say of the Lord,"He is my refuge and my fortress;
  My God, in Him I will trust."  Psalm 91:2

Offline Marlin

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2011, 12:49:22 am »
Someone on here I wish I knew so I could give them the credit, but they said they used a candle to heat straighten cain or boo. I tried it on the last boo arrows I made with a candle with a good flame and liked it allot better than the heat gun. That thing is just a bunch of noise I don't need when I am trying to focus on a straight arrow. Thanks, Whoever You Are. Marlin
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Offline Patches

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2011, 04:28:06 pm »
I am a newbie to making arrows, but I have been using a long lighter (like the ones for lighting grills) and have success with that.  You can adjust the flame length and the flame will go around the entire cane shaft and appears to heat it all at once.  I have not burnt any shafts (yet), but I am still learning too.
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Offline Josh

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2011, 04:56:44 pm »
a can of sterno cooking fuel works good too.  You can get them in the camping section of Walmart and they stay lit even in the wind.  They are like 3 dollars for a 2 pack and last a good long while.  That's what I use.  I agree on the heat gun being too loud.  I like to relax while I am straightening cane and I would rather save the life of my heat gun for heat treating/reflexing my bows.  :) :)
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Offline Josh

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2011, 04:58:11 pm »
also, I have a set of tonkin tomato stakes from Lowes that I turned into arrow shafts 2 years ago that I didnt heat treat, just straightened and they are still as straight as the day I made them.  Tough as nails too.  :)
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2011, 05:09:29 pm »
I use our gas cook stove for straightening and tempering cane and hardwood shoot shafts. I will work the nodes first then lay them on a flat surface until they are completely cooled, sometimes waiting a whole day. Then I get to the internodes and do the same. After all are straightened and completely cooled I will start at one end and work towards the other heating and rotating the shaft as I go. When you get to the far end be careful of steam that might come out if the shafts are not completely dry. When tempering you don't have to get to a color stage. Just get them pretty hot. Once you do this lay them down again on a flat surface and allow them to cool completey.
  I will sometimes heat the node area to get a slight char to act as a camo pattern. Again lay them flat until cooled before stressing them.
   If you watch the heated area closely you will see a bead of "sweat" appear when the cane is ready to bend. This happens most of the time but not always.
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Offline mullet

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2011, 12:57:34 am »
 I use a candle and it works good. I've never heat tempered a shaft, didn't see a need to.
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Offline seabass

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Re: Twisty Bamboo
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2011, 03:30:49 am »
i use a single burner colmen camp burner.it works great for getting them straight.i heat until the part of the shaft looks waxy.i also wear gloves so i don't burn my hands.this meathod works really good for me.i don't know anything about tempering,but my shafts stay staight.maybe if i can get this pic posting thing down,i'll show my work.hope this helps,steve
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