Twist and shout

[superdav95]

It looks a bit scorched but once you get some belly wood off you’ll be fine.  You may have had it too close to the coal bed if that’s after one hour.  Next time try to aim for 2-3 hours and start with bow about 18-20” above the bed belly down.  Then check it for Color change after an hour if none then lower it down a few inches.  A good coal bed should last at least 2-3 hours depending on outside temps.  Just fyi for next one.  If you are still getting a reading on your meter after that cook then hit it again with the heat gun or another coal bed treatment.  Don’t flex too much at this point let it rehydrate a bit.  After a day or so it should just barely register a mc reading and not get near 10% no matter what humidity is.  Keith Shannon uses the term hydrophobic to describe this ability to repel moisture absorption. 

[Muskyman]

Thanks Dave. I scraped it some and it’s a rich brown now. It’s still thick in the limbs yet.
Also I have watched Keith’s video with Clay Hayes and watched them cooking bows. I also have glued a handle on it, after cooking it. Used ea-40 for that. I’ll probably shape that in a few days. Just gotta let it sit for now because I’m busy with other stuff .

[Muskyman]

Been working on this bow some. Picture is pulled about 23 inches and it’s around 36-38 lbs. also had lost a lot of its reflex when I unstrung it. I put it back on my form and heated it again and got a lot of the reflex back. Don’t know if it will keep it or not but figured it was worth a shot.

[Muskyman]

Decided to flip the tips on this bow and during the heating process, I was heating it about the first 3 inches and after about 10-15 minutes of slowly trying to heat the tip of the first limb it suddenly started bending about 5 inches up the limb and just folded over at that point. So I cut it off and cut 5 inches off the other end and now I have a 60 inch bow left.. probably over cooked it on the coals in my original cook. Gonna put it into the naughty pile. I’ll start another bow from a new piece of hickory or some other wood. If I cook the next one on coals I’ll keep it farther away from the heat like superdave suggested earlier in this thread.. lesson learned, maybe 🤔

[superdav95]

Ya that’s too bad.  Been there done that.  You can’t safely flip the tips after heat treating.  You know that now like you say lesson learned.  If flipped tips or recurve is what you are gonna want then steam them in prior to heat treatment.  Design your coal bed and caul to incorporate the recurves.  I’m designing a caul at the moment similar to Arvin’s deflex reflex Osage flight bow.  Instead I’m using hickory.  Gonna see if it can handle the deflex reflex extremes.  We shall see.  I plan on steaming the handle area and fades to get my deflex and also the recurves.  Should be an interesting build anyway.  Your wallpaper steamer would be magic for this btw.  Just a thought.  Give it another go and keep an eye on it constantly.  Go slow and keep heat to the belly just hot enough so you can’t keep your hand there for more then a couple seconds for the first hour.  This is important to prevent splits and rapid charring on surface of belly.  Then remaining hour or two can be little closer to the heat but adjust its height with some bricks as you go and babysit it and keep an eye on it.  Don’t walk away from it and come back in an hour thinking you’ll be good.  You more then likley will be disappointed.  This is why I do 4 at a time in my coal bed.  It maximizes my time and coal bed.  I’m committed anyway to watching it so might as well make the most of it.  The rule of thumb for this is low and slow as Keith Shannon puts it.  Low as in temperature and slow as in 2-3hours. 

[Muskyman]

Thanks Dave. You’re right about the fact I tend to try to get it heated to fast. I think I’ve scorched about every bow I’ve tried to cook on coals. Funny thing is I’m just the opposite with my heat gun. I just can’t make myself stay after heating one that way.  I think it’s the same thing that causes both, no patience.. not enough to stay at it with the heat gun and not enough to let it sit over the coals at a higher level away from the heat. Like with most things, I have to learn the hard way 

[Pappy]

That's to bad, was looking forward to seeing how this one turned out, I do usually do and tip flipping before heat treating, never done any over a pit so can't say,do it with a heat gun, and usually don't do much heat other that to straighten/profile and line up until I have it at low brace and everything even. and you are right patents is the key, it ant a road race. 
 Pappy