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Author Topic: Optimal temperatures for bow making?  (Read 3579 times)

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Offline ajooter

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Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« on: December 15, 2015, 08:12:16 pm »
I do most of my bow making in my garage and during the winter it probably gets down between 30 and 40 degrees.  Just wondering if this is too cold to be working on bows.  I usually bring them inside after I get done each day.  I do have a space heater I can run.  Just wondering if that is necessary?  Any insight is appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Aaron
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Offline JonW

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2015, 08:14:01 pm »
The wood can take it if you can ;)
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Offline Drewster

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2015, 08:36:52 pm »
I've never experienced any problems working with wood in cool temps......as long as you're not trying to glue anything.  Trees grow and survive in sub 0° temps so I don't think 40° in your shop is going to be a problem.  As long as I can keep my hands warm, I keep working.
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Drew - Boone, NC

Offline Ryan C

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2015, 08:51:33 pm »
I'd be more worried about low humidity in the winter.
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Offline bowandarrow473

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2015, 08:57:35 pm »
Temperature has never seemed to be a problem for people, humidity however, is a different story.
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Offline ajooter

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2015, 09:03:14 pm »
Sounds like I'm good to go....back to work then  ;)
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Offline huisme

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2015, 09:32:37 pm »
I've worked with locust in Washington's dumb summer humidity at 90+ degrees and that's probably the worst I've seen the wood perform. Took a bow straight from that to Nevada's 90+ degree desert and the wood became as lively as ever. Later that year I continued working the locust in -1 to -10 degree weather and it was all fine as long as I exercised the bow.
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Might as well make them short, save some wood to keep warm.

Offline sleek

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2015, 01:27:17 am »
If you are cold, you arent working hard enough.
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Offline Pappy

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2015, 05:16:42 am »
I'll take cold and dry over hot and humid any time. Cold and dry in the winter I don't worry about much on the other hand when it is hot and humid or damp I work in short sessions especially when tillering and keep it in a dry area/hot box or over and AC duct when not working on it. :)
 Pappy
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2015, 08:55:12 am »
Cold won't hurt the wood. Just me. :) Jawge
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #10 on: December 17, 2015, 09:08:03 am »
I do my best work in Crocs and a t-shirt, so anything under 65 is a struggle :)
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Offline ajooter

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #11 on: December 17, 2015, 03:05:08 pm »
Wish I had a warm shop in the winter but the cold doesn't bother me much I was just wondering about the wood.  Almost finished tiller in a maple board bow.  I'll post pics in a different thread.  I think I tend to leave my fades a little proud and it shows by the set the bow has taken.  Thanks for your input.
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Offline Springbuck

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #12 on: December 18, 2015, 11:34:11 am »
Pappy, this is why I love living in Utah.  i just leave wood alone and it settles in to about optimal MC.  We had a warm, humid spring a couple years back, and I was like, "What the heck is wrong with all this wood?  It's acting so weird!"
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Offline JoJoDapyro

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #13 on: December 18, 2015, 11:42:21 am »
Quote from: PEARL DRUMS on December 17, 2015, 09:08:03 am
I do my best work in Crocs and a t-shirt, so anything under 65 is a struggle :)

The water bucket in my shop had ice on it last night while I was up there.
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If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Optimal temperatures for bow making?
« Reply #14 on: December 18, 2015, 01:11:12 pm »
I like it between 40 deg and 60 deg(F) so I don't sweat so much when hogging off bark and sapwood.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC
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