Author Topic: Hypothetically curing question  (Read 1230 times)

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Offline Woody roberts

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Hypothetically curing question
« on: November 25, 2020, 05:45:56 pm »
In and around 1968 I had 3 uncles who lived way out. Being born an old soul I spent quite a bit of time with them. No electricity, no running water. They had never married and lived as their parents did. Fred, the oldest was born in 1900.
They cut all their wood with a buck saw and made all their own handles something I found very interesting.

Now anyone who has delt with hickory knows that a split piece is a lot harder to break than these sawn ones you buy at the store.

Fred told me they would rough a handle in green slightly oversized. Sink it under kerosene to cure. 6 months, a year or when they needed it. These handles thus cured were virtually unbreakable and not prone to rot.

How do youns rekin this would work for a hickory bow stave?

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Hypothetically curing question
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2020, 07:11:44 pm »
It would be worth a dry I think,,very cool,

Offline dylanholderman

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Re: Hypothetically curing question
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2020, 11:38:51 pm »
I think it’s worth a shot but I have no idea what it would do or how it might change the wood, maybe ask a chemist?

Offline GlisGlis

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Re: Hypothetically curing question
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2020, 02:49:54 am »
bow may not be suitable to shoot flaming arrows  (lol)

Offline PatM

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Re: Hypothetically curing question
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2020, 05:48:11 am »
Apparently soaking hickory ramrods for muzzleloaders in kerosene  was also a thing.   

 Just don't try to fire harden your bow right away. ;)

Offline mmattockx

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Re: Hypothetically curing question
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2020, 09:17:23 am »
Apparently soaking hickory ramrods for muzzleloaders in kerosene  was also a thing.   

I had to google this. It still is a thing among the muzzleloader crowd. Supposedly it makes the hickory more flexible and less likely to break (and then pierce your hand...).


How do youns rekin this would work for a hickory bow stave?

It's worth a shot, but you might end up with a softer piece of wood that takes a lot of set based on what it supposedly does for ramrods and tool handles.


Mark

Offline dylanholderman

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Re: Hypothetically curing question
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2020, 09:47:59 am »
Just a thought if you do go through with this, consider making the stave a splice or take down bow and rough it 90%~ to save on the kerosene

Offline DC

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Re: Hypothetically curing question
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2020, 10:27:20 am »
I'm wondering where the water would go? Would it pool at the bottom of the kerosene? Interesting :)

Offline bassman

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Re: Hypothetically curing question
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2020, 10:45:54 am »
The smell may not help when hunting if can't get it out of the bow.

Offline PatM

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Re: Hypothetically curing question
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2020, 11:20:24 am »
Muzzleloading forums also have the results of tests between treated and untreated hickory.  The consensus was it makes zero difference.