Cedar bending

[BowEd]

Ok I've got a topic here I'm not sure of but have some apprehensive thoughts on it though.I'm straightening a stave of cedar for a bow by steam bending.Now it'll get sinew and be reflexed a bit.Those spots that I steam straightened are'nt going to recall after I put that wet sinew on will it?Guess I could put the floor tillerd bow on a form and set the shape with the heat gun but if I don't need to I won't.I've always thought you got to have heat to change the cellular structure of wood and it just getting wet should'nt change things.But steam bending does'nt involve as much heat as dry heat bending though.I know you need to clamp down a steam bent piece to keep it's shape if you want to dry heat temper it.Just getting wet alone should'nt change things should it?Guess I asked the same question twice,but from a different angle......LOL.

[Bryce]

Ok let me see if I got yah.
Your going to straighten the stave with steam, then apply the sinew?
If you steam it straight, it should hold its figure. Though I have had juniper take some of its original shape during tillering, but nothing too serious.
What are we talking here prop twist? Deflexed? C-shaped?
I'm in the process of straitening a yew stave with a twist, an S curve and a severely deflexed limb.
All using dry heat. It's coming along nicely

[DarkSoul]

What species of ""cedar"" are we talking about? There's too many species with that stupid name Do you know the botanical name, or a better local name?

[sharpend60]

Nearly everyone here calls Juniper 'cedar'.
We have 5 native junipers and not a single cedar.

[rossfactor]

I'd bend the cedar with steam, leave it in the form for a couple days.  If you think its a good idea, some dry heat (while the bow is stil in the form) will really lock the new shape in place.  Otherwise I would 'over-correct' a bit with the steam so when it bounces back you don't lose everything.

Most of the "cedars" in the western states are in the cypress family (e.g. western red, incense and port Orford cedar). Some are junipers (like ERC). Your junipers tend to be a more tension strong than your cypresses.  Generalizations of course.

gabe

[BowEd]

Ok...sorry not enough info.[sorry no pictures !@#$$%%^^&**(()]The stave is Eastrern Red Cedar.It is dry and measures 1and1/2"deep by2and1/8" wide 6' long.No knots,clean.The stave warped a little sideways.Not much but enough I thought.The crown runs good along it though and it should feather out nicely on the belly.The second bend is a whoopty doo going down then up dropping 3/4"over a stretch of a foot that is straight though no sideways bend.Now I already took the sideways warped bend out over a pot 11" wide.Looks good.Gonna do the whoopty doo next I thought.I've noticed on ERC flipping tips steaming that it does not have that terribly much spring back like hickory or hedge releasing the clamps.So over compensating while bending is not as much needed.I put deflex in a limb by the fade steaming too on a previous ERC bow and it did not have as much spring back.That's about the size of it and I appreciate the help and comments.
Oh I'll get er one way or the other.Much too nice a piece of wood to cast aside.

[Bryce]

You make that wood submit to your will!!