Author Topic: Heat treating BL  (Read 1104 times)

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Offline DC

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Heat treating BL
« on: September 20, 2017, 09:04:16 pm »
I'm heat treating a Black Locust bow and it's different from any wood I've done. It's turning purple(a rather nice purple) and it's darkening a lot sooner than other wood. Normally the color starts to change at about 400 degrees but this turns purple at about 350. Is that hot enough to do the job or should I be making it darker? I read somewhere that there is a thin line between dark and scorched with Locust.

Offline ---GUTSHOT--->

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Re: Heat treating BL
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2017, 10:23:57 pm »
I heat treat BL very, very slow. It takes heat really fast and will crack the wood. I toast mine till the belly has that purple look all the way down it and across it. Good luck they make some fast bows.

Offline DC

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Re: Heat treating BL
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2017, 10:49:09 pm »
How far away do you hold the gun? Do you still use high heat? This is what it looks like. Well, actually it looks purpler than this.

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Heat treating BL
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2017, 12:19:47 pm »
I've heat-treated many BL bows and it does quite well with it.  I does turns colour faster and I don't give as much heat as say Elm or HHB.  I use the same method but go by the look of the wood rather than by time, dark is OK, black is not.
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com

Offline DC

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Re: Heat treating BL
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2017, 01:42:54 pm »
OK, thanks

Offline simson

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Re: Heat treating BL
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2017, 02:25:18 pm »
Had it also DC, when you put on finish the color turns into brown.
Simon
Bavaria, Germany