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Author Topic: Bending green wood  (Read 2986 times)

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Don Case

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Bending green wood
« on: December 18, 2013, 03:00:35 pm »
If I clamp a shape into a green stave and let it season like that, is that shape more permanent than if I steamed or heat bent it after seasoning?
Don
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2013, 03:19:33 pm »
Ive never tried Don. But it seems naturally reflexed wood holds more than heated reflex. So why wouldn't a dried in reflex hold better than heat?
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Offline Oglala Bowyer

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Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2013, 04:06:24 pm »
Don it'll hold just fine. I've done that to a number of plains shorties.
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Don Case

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Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2013, 08:31:28 pm »
I don't think I recommend this for Ocean Spray. I collected a really nice 72"x 2"dia piece day before yesterday. Yesterday I debarked and roughed the belly. It had about an inch of sideways bend so I clamped it to a 2x4. It took quite a bit of force to take the sideways bend out. I sealed the ends but not the belly or back. I looked today and I have never seen so much checking. I stopped counting at 25 checks, mostly on the back. I guess I got overconfident, I usually shellac the back and so far have not had any, I mean none, checks. Mostly I'm writing this off to not shellacking the back but I wonder if the strain of bending  contributed to it? Anyway this nice stave is useless now. Too bad, six foot pieces of OS are rare. :( :(
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Offline Forest_Farmer

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Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2013, 01:18:33 am »
I was wondering the same thing about working with green wood.  I just worked down a Osage limb removing all the sap wood and then sealed the whole stave with Elmers glue. It has a bad bend and twist on one end and wondered if I should try working it without heat by clamping to a board.  I will wait to see more replies to your post before I try anything.
I know I should wait for the wood to cure but I'm néw to this and just ichin to make another bow.
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2013, 10:14:56 am »
Remove the bark, rough it out, shellac or poly the back and steam it. I don't remember doing this but it should work. I think Torges uses it and it is mentioned in his book "Hunting the JOsage Bow". He uses shellac. Jawge
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Offline NeolithicMan

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Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2013, 10:32:17 am »
I split a 2" diameter hickory sapling and clamped in a lot of reflex and slightly curved tips. the bow died due to later mistreatment on my part but the green wood held a good amount of the shape I left it in. thats the only one I have done but I heard of elm being a good candidate for this method
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