Grain runout

[DC]

I was really a hypothetical question but it's Pacific Crab in the picture. I'm just finishing my third steaming session but I'm being a little fussy with this one. I want to try for almost perfect tiller on this one so I want it straight to start with. I'm going to fume it for a couple of weeks first.

[bradsmith2010]

 

[Rākau]

I'm stoked you posted this, it is a query that I quite often have when I am roughing staves out.

[hoosierf]

I have a few where I just leave them like that and they shoot good. I just adjust the knocks so the string tracks as close to the arrow pass a I can get it. These bows have worked out well for me.

[leonwood]

I always straighten that kind of runout, but I am never in a hurry building a bow
Leaves me the question: Why do you steam that? With minimal bends like that I narrow the tip to half an inch and use a heat gun to straighten it, takes about ten minutes and a cup of coffee after that and I am ready to start tillering

[DC]

Good question. I don't know for sure. I usually use steam until it's almost tillered. I guess I feel I get better heat penetration with steam.

[leonwood]

Good question. I don't know for sure. I usually use steam until it's almost tillered. I guess I feel I get better heat penetration with steam.

Try the heat gun the next time, you will not be dissapointed! 

[vinemaplebows]

DC,
             I have done it both ways, but that decision would be made from seeing all sides of the stave. Sometimes those sideways natural bends will not take to steam, or heat, and eventually move back toward their original state. Vine Maple has done this to me a limited number of times, the result would look similar to your red line in your first post.

[bradsmith2010]

Ok next time bend it straight,,,cut the stave and make that the handle,..use the straight part for recurves

[Springbuck]

 I mostly avoid cutting in to the sides that much.  Why take chances?

 However, it gets more "OK" the closer you are to the tips, the less bend that area takes, and you can get away with more of it on a more highly crowned stave.   I learned this when I discovered that I could make bows from some woods like serviceberry, apple, hawthorn, and plum where the grain does complete barber-pole revolutions around the stave, as long as I started with a small diameter piece.  This of course means that the width of the stave limits how much, as well.

But, I would absolutely have roughed out such a stave (so little deviation) and done the straightening at the same time I did the belly temper. 

[vinemaplebows]

I mostly avoid cutting in to the sides that much.  Why take chances?

 However, it gets more "OK" the closer you are to the tips, the less bend that area takes, and you can get away with more of it on a more highly crowned stave.   I learned this when I discovered that I could make bows from some woods like serviceberry, apple, hawthorn, and plum where the grain does complete barber-pole revolutions around the stave, as long as I started with a small diameter piece.  This of course means that the width of the stave limits how much, as well.

But, I would absolutely have roughed out such a stave (so little deviation) and done the straightening at the same time I did the belly temper.

Exactly, and although it is taking a small chance, like almost every limb bow that is not split......you run the same risk, it is really species dependent.