Heat bending osage

[Danzn Bar]

I live at 7000 ft,, I was used to steam bending at sea level,, when I moved here it seemed more difficult to make a bend without problems,, it takes food longer to cook,, so I think it just takes more time to get the right heat for the bend,, or longer steaming,,

Just longer penetrating heat in general....steam or dry heat.......for osage
DBar

[bubby]

The localized steaming method is in a back issue of primitive archer

[Danzn Bar]

I think the process they are referring to is to wrap a localized area with a wet towel/rag and seal with aluminum foil.  then hit it with the heat gun and apply pressure with clamp.  for me this method works very well taking out twists and bending thick handles to align the tips.  I agree with danzn bar,  dry heat seems to cause cracks for me when it is rushed.  For me dry heat seems to work best combined with vegetable oil and a light, steady pressure as I bend around a form.  When the wood is ready, it bends like melting plastic.  If I push too hard or force it, I get cracks. Most have been shallow, though and I leave enough wood  usually to just scrape below the splinter to good wood.

Yep.....Saw Pearly do it at Marshall on Jackson Cash hockey stick..........
DBar

[bushboy]

The temp water boils is 212 @ sea level and drops by roughly 2 degrees per 1000 ft of elevation,so in brads case water boils at 198 degrees storing less energy. Boyle's law,there fore I believe I tight wrapping of foil raises the pressure ever so slightly making the steam hotter if that makes sense lol!

[Pat B]

Steve, are you referring to cracks across the grain on the outside of the bend or longitudinal cracks(checks) in the back at the curve?  I have had osage crack across the grain while bending dramatically with dry heat. I use oil on the area I heat and bend and that helps in bends that are not too drastic. I think the oil holds the heat better, helps it penetrate the wood better and prevents scorching. I also use shellac on all newly exposed backs, no matter how well seasoned it is. The shellac is quite stable even when getting the belly very hot and has prevented any checking on the back that is caused by the heating, drying of the wood.

[Badger]

      Pat, I am referring to cracks across the bend actually breaking the wood, usually it doesn't go past a ring but I have ruined a few bows with them actually breaking.
 
     I never noticed this with the southern wood and it might be because of the fatter rings. I have gotten to wear I really prefer the more northern wood but I just don't attempt dry heat recurves with it anymore.

       

[Pat B]

On my last osage static recurve "Sweet Thang" I made drastic recurves with dry heat and it cracked badly. It was from Clint's monster osage tree from Illinois and it had very nice rings. I ended up filling the cracks with super glue and adding underlays and so far all is good.   The under lays were yew with a thin piece of ipe where the string tracked.

[Pappy]

I use steam on recurves [ don't do many of them anymore]and dry heat on most everything else, but my rule is any Osage less than 2 years old I steam first and older I use dry heat.
   Pappy

[Badger]

  That sounds like a pretty good rule Pappy.