What is this telling me?(Updated pictures coming up)

[Del the cat]

It might be sayin'
"Dude if you spend the time jiggin me up and heatin' me, at least let me rest on the caul for a couple of days before un clampin' me."
Del

[stringstretcher]

That just might happen this time Del....

[blackhawk]

Leaving it clamped for a few days ain't gonna help a lick if there wasn't enough heat...you could leave it clamped for a few years and it'll still bounce back up if there wasn't enough heat put to it. I pm'ed Charlie last night wanting to know who exactly helped him,and that answered my question. No offense to that person but I know a lot of these guys and how they build specifically.

[Pappy]

Likes been said,if it is floor tillered even then it will come out if you put enough
heat to it,you don't have to burn it but it has to be hot,I see this a lot with folks straighting bows at the shop,just don't get them hot enough or like Clint said ,not clamped good in the handle area and as you tighten the clamp to put some bend  in or out it is pivoting and not really pulling.I didn't help you last year on that one did I Charlie ? if so sorry. Taking out deflex usuall isn't a problem.
   Pappy

[stringstretcher]

No Pappy, you did not.  And I am not blaming anyone on this at all.  I am just trying to learn why some wood does what it does.  I am sure it will eventually bend

[Roy]

I know what's wrong, Charlie Ole Boy. 

Ya went out an bought a cheap heat gun, didn't cha? 

[stringstretcher]

No sir I did not.  I got one of those nice yellow ones, to match my wood color.  That way, the wood can not see it coming.....

[stringstretcher]

Well just because of my nature and not liking to be outdone by a simple piece of wood,,,lol, she is back on the curl.  I ensured that the handle and fade section was locked down good and tight.  I went and cut some more pressure blocks and used them against the wood better this time.  I heated it until the woods edges and belly got a lot darker than the other limb that took the heat, clamped it down and could even smell the wood from the heat as I got close to the tip which I got that a litter warmer than I want to, but I want it to bend too.  So I am going to leave it on the curl until tomorrow morning and let it sit in the garage tonight where it will get good and cold and then take the clamps off and see.  Only time will tell now.

[okie64]

Sounds like you got plenty of heat on it this time. I dont know about the other guys but for me the smell of the wood is one of the main indicators I use when heat treating or bending wood. Like blackhawk said if it doesnt get hot enough it doesnt matter how long you leave it clamped. Ive heated hickory and osage both and taken the clamps off within 5 minutes and still had almost zero springback. Its all about the how much heat and putting it in the right place.

[PEARL DRUMS]

When heat bending only that gun should be on low and never closer than 4-5". It needs a slow, deep heat to hold the best and move the best. A normal length bow should take no less than 45-60 minutes to do both limbs complete. You dont have to wait if you dont want to Charlie, when its cool to the touch its good to go. Your call buddy. If it takes a bunch of heat to move it all, then a tad of residual heat an hour later sure isnt going to affect it. I wait 30-40 minutes and keep going, never had one go boom or pull out.

[Del the cat]

I've had Yew shift on me despite being left overnight (it was steam bent) .
D'uh, C'mon guys it's self evident that leaving it clamped won't make any difference if it didn't get hot enough!
BUT... it won't do any harm to leave it clamped up for a day or so unless you are busting a gut to get it done.
Why risk spoiling your work through haste?...After all it was probably haste that stopped it getting hot enough in the first place.
I've done it often enough and learned my lesson.
Of course I reserve the right to be talking out of my backside, but I'll still be leaving any bending on the caul for a least 2 days.
Del

[Roy]

Charlie ya want to bend it a little farther than you want to end up with cause it will spring back a little, not much but a little.

[blackhawk]

Del...yew and osage are two totally different animals IMO...and steam bending and heat bending are two totally different animals as well...and trying to compare steamed yew to dry heating osage is irrelevant....once that osage is cool with dry heat you can unclamp..there's no benefit to leaving it clamped any more past once its cooled.

[Del the cat]

Del...yew and osage are two totally different animals IMO...and steam bending and heat bending are two totally different animals as well...and trying to compare steamed yew to dry heating osage is irrelevant....once that osage is cool with dry heat you can unclamp..there's no benefit to leaving it clamped any more past once its cooled.

I shall flagelate myself with briars and rub wood ash into my fur immediately.
Del

[blackhawk]

Make sure to be using osage thorns for your briars del....lol  ...but you are very right about leaving steamed yew clamped and it wanting to move back...I love yew but it does have a tendency to "shift" (depending on the piece)...and can be frustrating. But I've never had any issues with properly dry heated and corrected osage shifting back to its original position....another reason why osage is better than yew