Author Topic: Recurved Tips with steam -- MORE QUESTIONS!!! HELP!!  (Read 1560 times)

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Offline Canoe

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Recurved Tips with steam -- MORE QUESTIONS!!! HELP!!
« on: October 20, 2009, 12:17:39 pm »
Howdy Group,

Well, I just recurved the tip, (one end) of an White Ash selfbow. (It's my first time trying this).  I steamed the tip for about 40 minutes and then I quickly clamped the tip into a curved jig(?).  I set the bow under a couch in the carpeted basement.  It's not the dryest place in the house, but not bad eather.  (And, it won't get in anybodies way under there.)
 
So, my question is, about how long do I leave it clamped up?  I mean, when is it dry enough to un-clamp the bow tip and move on to the other end?

Thanks for your knowledgable advise,
Canoe 
« Last Edit: October 22, 2009, 10:39:08 am by Canoe »
"Nature is a mutable cloud which is always and never the same."  - R. W. Emerson

"Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit."    -Edward Abbey

Offline Jorad

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Re: Recurved Tips with steam -- Qiestion.
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2009, 12:33:35 pm »
24 hours should do the trick.
I usually steam for an hour and clamp for 24.

Good luck!
Jorad

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Recurved Tips with steam -- Qiestion.
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2009, 01:28:20 pm »
A couple of hours is fine, but it mustn't be flexed untill it's had plenty of time to dry out, maybe as much as a week.
It's the heat which makes it flexible, so once it's cooled right though it's ok, however the moisture needs to dry out too.
Del
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radius

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Re: Recurved Tips with steam -- Qiestion.
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2009, 01:38:01 pm »
as soon as it is cool you can take it off the jig.

but yeah, wait a bit before stringing it, a few days anyhow

Offline Canoe

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Re: Recurved Tips with steam -- MORE QUESTIONS!! HELP...
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2009, 11:07:11 am »
Howdy Group,

Thanks for the info - sounds great.

After 24 hours, I'll take this limb out of the jig (cull?), and I'll steam and bend the second limb.
After another 24 hours, the jig will be removed. 
And then, after a week (or more), it will be ready for me to string it, check and work on the tiller.

The reason I wanted to try to re curve this bow is because, while tillering it (the first time), I overstressed the limbs and put in about 2 inches of set
Since then, I re tillered the bow to get the mid- limbs bending more, but the 2 in. of set remained.  So I decided to try this re curving. 
BTW, someone had suggested that I heat treat these limbs to remove the set and to increase the weight.  I don't have access to a heat gun right now, (I dropped and broke mine).  So I thought I would try this re curving instead.

Oct. 22, '09   (I've now completed the re curving of both limbs and will let it sit for a week or so.)

FEW MORE QUESTIONS
After re curving the the limbs, how will this affect the brace hight, and will I have to change the string length?
Will this increase the draw weight any noticeable amount?
Lastly, do I want to get the re curves (bent part) bending slightly?

Here it is in the jig...

The second picture is from the first try at tillering this bow.  I later got it bending more in mid-limb...  After re-tillering, it's about 45#@28" (before re curving).

Thanks for your advise,
Canoe
   

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« Last Edit: October 22, 2009, 10:36:48 am by Canoe »
"Nature is a mutable cloud which is always and never the same."  - R. W. Emerson

"Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit."    -Edward Abbey