Heat treating

[DC]

When you are heat treating a bow is it OK to end abruptly or should you taper off?

[Pat B]

I usually only heat treat the working parts of the limbs and I end before I get to the tips. You can end abruptly.

[DC]

Thanks Pat  Twice

[PatM]

Seems a waste to not heat treat the ends for potential mass savings.

[wizardgoat]

I'm curious PatM, please elaborate

[bowandarrow473]

When you heat treat I think that it forces moisture out of the wood and the wood shrinks and the structure changes, making it stronger for less wood. Less wood =less mass. But that's just how I think of it. I would be curious to hear other explanations or the correct one as mine may be wrong.

[DC]

The only reason I stop short of the ends is by the time I've done 2 feet of limb I'm bored spitlless. I usually straighten arrows while I'm heat treating but I ran out.

[bradsmith2010]

if you heat treat the ends,, you could possibly make them smaller( because they are stronger now) and reduce mass and increase performance,,,

[PatM]

 Exactly.

[bowandarrow473]

Bradsmith said it better.

[RBLusthaus]

Before I heat treat, my tips have been flipped or re curved  or straightened already, so I don't want that heat near my tips for fear the tips may come undone or move a little.  Therefore, I don't let the. Heat treat close to the tips.   Russ