Author Topic: Twist, how much is too much... (now progress pics)  (Read 5500 times)

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Offline Lee Slikkers

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Twist, how much is too much... (now progress pics)
« on: January 29, 2012, 06:05:53 pm »
I have a nice 56" piece of Lilac that has a little bit of prop twist to it...   >:D  It is a true 180 degree swirl, should this be attempted in multiple sessions or all at once?





Thanks!

« Last Edit: January 31, 2012, 07:39:56 pm by Lee Slikkers »
~ Lee

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"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
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Offline Youngboyer2(billyf)

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2012, 06:24:09 pm »
I am new at this so you can just disregard what I say but from what I know taking it slow is the way to go, broken bows make great Learning experiences but at the same time they don't shoot very well
"You speak Treason!" "Fluently"-Robin of Locksley
When people ask "why didn't you do that the first time" you can be sure that they  have never made a bow before.

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2012, 06:30:49 pm »
Depends on your method.  I would think it would be hard to steam that much wood and get it straightened out on a form before it cooled off too much.  If it's cured I'd do it with dry heat and several heatings.  Actually, with that one, I'd look for another stave.  I do a lot of crooked wood, but 90 degrees is my personal limit.  I'm sure it can be done, but not by me.  Hopefully by you. :D

Have fun,
George
St Paul, TX

Offline Pat B

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2012, 06:44:55 pm »
Lee, I've not worked lilac so I don't know how well it reacts to heat but I changed this osage stave...


...into this bow but used many heating and straightening sessions...







This was a TG bow trade bow. Here is the new owner, Joe Weed, shooting it backwards... ;D

Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2012, 06:48:29 pm »
Thanks Guys and Pat, I appreciate the encouragement and example...nothing ventured, nothing gained right???   >:D  I'll see what some oil and dry heat and a handful of sessions will bring me.

~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline Pat B

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2012, 06:50:01 pm »
Lee, get that thing close to bow size before you try to straighten it. It is way too much wood there now.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2012, 07:10:07 pm »
Will do Pat...thanks again for the advise.
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline sadiejane

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2012, 12:51:04 pm »
well lee, my experience is very limited.
but i was, as pat, with dry heat and numerous sessions able to get this

to this


with a significant wind check patched with rawhide, its still holding and shooting good
wild women don't get the blues

Offline Pappy

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2012, 01:03:06 pm »
Not sure on that wood but I know You can get that much out of an Osage stave
and Have taken close to that much out of IW and Persimmon.Give it a try,then you will know. ;) ;D ;D and so will we. :)
   Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2012, 01:20:25 pm »
Thanks SadieJane & Pappy...I would hardly question it if it was Osage but it is a lot softer than Osage and checks like @#$# once any bark is removed or if any branch/knot locations are not 110% sealed.  This stuff have been drying for over a year so since it's white wood I am sure it is dry so that should reduce any possible checking issues.

I think my biggest challange might be just trying to reduce it it to a bow profile with it in the current corkscrew stave.  I guess before I continue chasing a back ring (more like just scraping past the cambium layer) I will attempt a layout on it with a pencil and then see how good my bandsaw abilities are...I've cut a lot of character staves before but this one will likely push me to my limits  :o
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2012, 11:45:23 pm »
If you got a good solid vice, a heat gun, a Jorgenson woodworkers clamp or pipe wrench, and a bucket of water for weight I bet you will tame that purple propeller!

If you can't, send it to me and I will.
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2012, 11:50:25 pm »
Thanks for the idea JW...got her reduced down to "heat-able" untwisting dimensions...we'll see how it goes.
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #12 on: January 31, 2012, 12:14:35 am »
Do it up in 10" sections at a time, do one limb, allow it to cool and flip 'er around and do another section on the other limb.  How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  And a LOT of catsup.
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Twist, how much is too much to try and steam out of a stave?
« Reply #13 on: January 31, 2012, 07:39:05 pm »
Well, reduced her a bit last night, here are some "before" pics...







 Here are some shots of the 1st heat session late last night...







Here are some progress shots after I gave her another round this morning...





Got 90 degrees removed so far, we'll see what tomorrow holds.

Stay tuned...
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Twist, how much is too much... (now progress pics)
« Reply #14 on: January 31, 2012, 08:05:29 pm »
Atta boy!  Don't take no crap offa that stave!
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.