Heat-treating in the old way?

[bradsmith2010]

Well Sleek..,,that should be interesting

[bownarra]

. One limb sticks out of the top of the bow sock, and shows quite a bit of set in many of the  examples I have seen.Maybe they tempered the wood ,and bent it around a tree to get the shape back, and the bow,s power back.
[/quote]

Unlikely as if you do this you will get tension cracks in the belly. Once wood is compressed it really doesn't like being bent backwards around a tree.....

[bownarra]

Sleek don't waste your money.
I finished another 190 @ 10gpp deflexed recurve out of elm a week or so ago. Send me a thousand dollars and its yours. It has lots of super duper hoodoo from the Ancient Brittons. Just like they used to make them....honest.
Joking aside if anybody can show me a better performing selfbow I'll be very impressed

I doubt they have come up with anything 'new'. I'll bet it is just heat treating with a wee bit of something added to make it 'different' I'll still buy the DVD just for the craic as I have enjoyed Thad's other videos.

[bassman]

Depends on the wood.

[Marc St Louis]

I'm thinking about that elm and sweet gum they have for starts. If they have a decent bow  I'd like to learn from it.

If not then you're out $1000.  I have better things to do with my money.  If you are that curious then buy the DVD, much cheaper.  I believe your skills as a bowyer are high enough that you don't need any of that.

[sleek]

Sleek don't waste your money.
I finished another 190 @ 10gpp deflexed recurve out of elm a week or so ago. Send me a thousand dollars and its yours. It has lots of super duper hoodoo from the Ancient Brittons. Just like they used to make them....honest.
Joking aside if anybody can show me a better performing selfbow I'll be very impressed

I doubt they have come up with anything 'new'. I'll bet it is just heat treating with a wee bit of something added to make it 'different' I'll still buy the DVD just for the craic as I have enjoyed Thad's other videos.

I'd like to discuss this bow with you when you have the time

[Bryce]

Ive read a LOT of old trapper journals and books. the amount of times native archery tools were talked about was slim. But from what I’ve read, central plains natives did carry around an extra stave or two for either trading or to use themselves. Some groups; like where I live in the PNW had plank houses and permanent settlements where they had specialists. In basket making, art, canoe makers and bowyers. Now that bowyer would have multiple staves in the rafters of his house. But since archery wasn’t the mainstay To acquire food, it was fishing. It wasn’t a very lucrative business lol others where also known and did make bows for themself and also had a handful of staves for trading and what not. not only that but lots of stuff was hanging to dry.
I’ve read about them using coals to shape the wood and whatnot but it wasn’t described as a hardening process or a type of treatment. Other woods and tools made from wood where described as being hardened for certain purposes. Maybe it just wasn’t clear to the author what was going on with the bow building process? Or it just simple wasn’t being treated at all.

[lonbow]

I own a book with the title "Belden, the white Chief".
George P. Belden lived among Native Americans in the plains for many years and his experiences and observations were published in 1870.
Belden wrote some observations about the making of bows and arrows. The bow staves and the wood for the arrows were seasoned above the fire in the teepee. After seasoning, the wood for the arrows is very tough and of a yellowish color. Belden also mentioned that a well seasoned and well made bow doesn´t follow the string.

I think that these are properties of a hardened wood. The process seems to be more gentle, but it takes much longer than the modern method. What are your thoughts?

lonbow

[scp]

Well dried bows are always better, within reason of course. I don't see anyone making bows out of heat treated lumber usually used for outdoor decking. Definitely lighter than before but probably too brittle for bow making. That's why I am not sure it's a good idea to heat treat the whole bow, instead of just the belly.

[JW_Halverson]

For one thing, if the bow blanks hanging in the teepee were heated to a point high enough to change cellular structure, people would be medium rare and ready for the Donner Dinner Party. So, that's not some technique for fire tempering or whatever. That's just pretty much normal curing process.

[bradsmith2010]

Sleek you should by the 190 fps bow,, 

[sleek]

Sleek you should by the 190 fps bow,, 

Lol... you mean "TRADE" for it.. .

I'm waiting on him to reply to me about it. I'd like pics, and stats on it

[bradsmith2010]

I bought a bow from Marc a few years back,, I love it,,,holding a good bow in the hand can be a learning experience,,

[Bryce]

Sleek you should by the 190 fps bow,, 

Lol... you mean "TRADE" for it.. .

I'm waiting on him to reply to me about it. I'd like pics, and stats on it

Good luck lol

[Marc St Louis]

I own a book with the title "Belden, the white Chief".
George P. Belden lived among Native Americans in the plains for many years and his experiences and observations were published in 1870.
Belden wrote some observations about the making of bows and arrows. The bow staves and the wood for the arrows were seasoned above the fire in the teepee. After seasoning, the wood for the arrows is very tough and of a yellowish color. Belden also mentioned that a well seasoned and well made bow doesn´t follow the string.

I think that these are properties of a hardened wood. The process seems to be more gentle, but it takes much longer than the modern method. What are your thoughts?

lonbow

Definitely not heat-treated merely taken on a patina from the smoke