What is this telling me?(Updated pictures coming up)

[stringstretcher]

Last year at the classic, Kerry B gave me a stave to mess around with while I was there.  We laid the bow out, cut it out, got it floor tillered and then put it on one of Pappy's curls and heat straightened and put reflex into it.  When we took the stave off the curl, on limb was fine, the other still had some deflex in it.  Needless to say, I put the stave away and just today decided to try this stave on my new curl.

So I go out, get one limb heated and clamped, then had to go get more clamps.  Now this first limb that I heated and clamped was the limb with the deflex.  Looking good so far.  Got back with more clamps, heated and clamped the other limb down and just let it sit out in the garage for about 6 hours since it was only 40 degrees and it was plenty cool to take off the form.  Here it is on the form all clamped up

Here is the limb that did take some reflex when we did it at Pappy's.  Looking really good right?

Now here is the limb that had the deflex in it and did not take any bend at Pappy's.  WHAT?

[stringstretcher]

You could shoot pool with this limb.  Why, after two different heating, and almost a year later will this limb not take heat and bending?  I am lost here.

[George Tsoukalas]

I think it might be saying, "Floor tiller me. I'm too thick to bend!" Jawge

[PEARL DRUMS]

1> not enough heat
2> not heated up for a long enough time

Honestly Charlie, Ive never met a piece of osage that wouldnt bend and stay bent. The wood should be hot enough you cant touch it.

[seabass]

that is weird Charlie.that looked like a good stave when we was at pappys.i get alot of wood from Kerry and have never had that problem yet.i'll be putting one on the form in the next day or two that i got from him.this stave is two or three years old though.yours was pobably cut in 2010.

[blackhawk]

1> not enough heat
2> not heated up for a long enough time

Honestly Charlie, Ive never met a piece of osage that wouldnt bend and stay bent. The wood should be hot enough you cant touch it.

+1

[Tom Leemans]

I'm with Jawge. The photo makes it look as if the outer 1/3 to 1/2 of that limb looks a wee bit thicker than the other, especially about 3/4 they way out. All wood has a personality. I'd say this limb is stubborn.

[PEARL DRUMS]

He doesnt have much wood left and he will be making a 40# bow, he is well past floor tillering stage. Im not sure the thickness is at fault. It can vary an 1/4" from end to end and still come off the caul balanced in reflex.

[blackhawk]

That is definitely not to thick to bend with dry heat...and there is no such thing as "stubborn" osage with heat if done right...its operator error of not enough heat..its as simple as that. I've corrected a lot of highly deflexed limbs into high reflex with osage with great success...n these bows have been shot a lot and still hold a reflexed profile.

[stringstretcher]

Let me try and clear up a couple of things if it will help.  the bow is past floor tiller.  That is one reason I stopped on it because it will in no way make a hunting weight bow (40lbs or up).   It will some day hopefully make a great kids bow though.

The first guy that heated it with me at the Classic, has way more years than I and a lot of others in working with this wood and it was a mystery to him as well.  The stave also developed cracks through the thick part of the handle, as if to say it was still greed wood.  At least that is what several commented on.  This is in no way bashing a stave, so lets get that straight right off. 

The heat that was put on it the first time was by the more experienced bow maker, as I was then and still am learning each time I do things in making bows, and the help was greatly appreciated.  It is just the results that were not rewarding.

As to my heating, guys it was hot.  Hot enough I could not hold my fingers on it with out getting burnt.  And even after every clamp was put on, it went back over each previous clamp with the heat gun.  And after the entire length was done, I again went over the limb several times with the heat gun and assured myself that it was hot.

The other limb, was done exactly the same way, heated the same amount to the touch, and clamped, reheated and on an on.

I am sure it is operator error blackhawk, but two operators making the exact same mistake on the exact same limb, to me is doubtfull.  Possible, but doubtfull.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Its a first for me Charlie. Im stumped then.

[stringstretcher]

Me too Pearl, and that is all I am asking to try and learn here.  This has nothing at all to do with who, what, when and where, and never will be.  I have heated a few bows myself, and have been around a LOT of bow that have been heated, and not once have I seen wood come out like this, not once, from anyone.  It might just be one of the mysteries that last a life time, but it sure has me puzzled.  Oh well, there are plenty more pieces of wood to bend

[stringstretcher]

If this will help maybe, here is the stave, just after laying it out, and cutting it down last year at the classic.  It was floor tillered after this and heated.

The top limb in the next two photos is the culprit.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I have had a few give me fits if one end came right off the ground/stump with fatter rings while the other end was 66" up the tree. But nothing I couldnt beat. Its a puzzler. Bring that bugger to Classic and lets see what we can do with it.

[stringstretcher]

Thanks Pearl,,,,but I don't think this one will make it back, cause something IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH IT....lol....