erc?

[bushboy]

Has anyone tried heat treating erc in board form?thx's!

[sweeney3]

No.  Not sure why you would?  It's already relatively very strong in compression.  Maybe to bend it?  I've read it does not respond well to heat bending, but I have not tried it.  My ERCs have all been straight stave bendy handles so I haven't yet felt the need to try.

[Josh B]

Nope, never tried it.  It's touchy enough in tension as is.  As a laminate it might be helpful.  I don't know though.  I've never made a laminate, ERC or otherwise.  Sorry.  Josh

[Stickhead]

As a board, it would be very hard to find a good ERC bow candidate, at least for a selfbow.  It needs to be pretty darn clean (knot-free), and ideally have some sapwood backing over heartwood belly.

I've tried bending ERC with steam, unsuccessfully.  I doubt that dry heat would work, since the heartwood is so brittle.  However, I've seen other posts where people have boiled ERC and managed to bend it a bit.

[bushboy]

Thx's for the replies!yes I want to use a piece of clean stock for the belly. And back it with either white oak,ash or hickory.I thought if heat treaing would minimis set than why not!but because it's soft wood I'm vary!

[sweeney3]

ERC won't take hardly any set to speak of anyway.  It'll either make a great bow or explode in a Shakespearianly dramatic fashion.  If you back it with other woods, make the backing rather thin. Tiller slowly and carefully.

[toomanyknots]

It's touchy enough in tension as is.

Yeah, I would not even think about it.