Boiling staves

[dwardo]

I always steam for shaper bends like hooks and statics but dry heat for reflex or corrections.
My thinking was steam is always going to be hotter than boiling water? This is only based on what little I remember from science classes.

I do remember a girl called Jenny much more clearly from Science 

[Aaron H]

Thank you guys.  Bryce, that is crazy! 

[Aaron H]

Well I tried it out today, and boiling seems to work pretty well.  It made the osage and yew very pliable.  I boiled both staves for about 45 min to an hour. I put them on a jig, and they each bent very easily with some c-clamps.

[mullet]

I had a drive shaft welded up I could fill with water and put on my propane turkey fryer. It worked real good and I noticed when bending deep recurves I didn't get the limb splinters that happens sometimes using dry heat.

[Aaron H]

Well it turns out, that after I let the osage dry a while, there were checks all along the back side of my stave.  Then again I didn't see the advice Pat B. gave, (coating it with shellac) before I boiled it. I believe I will convert my boiling kettle into a steaming kettle by welding a rack inside of it to keep the staves out of the water.  I will also make a lid for it to contain the steam.  Hopefully this method will work better.

[Bogaman]

I only boil my staves with venison and tators!

Actually this is a new one on me. I either steam or use a heat gun.