Heat treating

[freke]

  I read many post when boywer do two or three heat treating, how to know when I need to do another one?

[paulc]

Bearing in mind I don't really know what I am doing I try to floor tiller, heat treat, and depending on how much wood I take off during tillering I treat again...will also treat a third time just at end of tillering just because it seems like a good idea.

I've also only been successful 2 or 3 times getting a bow "finished"

Fwiw, Paul

[Pat B]

What Paul said. Also, as you progress in your knowledge of bow building you will figure out what works best for you

[scp]

Do not expect miracles. All heat treatment has the potential to weaken the bow without much benefits. Heat correction of small portion of the bow can be done anytime when necessary. But the heat treatment of the whole belly is better done after the tillering has been almost finished. Of course it can be done multiple times if necessary. Just make sure that the bow is fully stabilized after heat treating and never pull the bow more than the intended draw weight. The bow might feel much stronger than it actually is, soon after the heat treating. Leave it alone unstrung for a day or two.

[freke]

My understanding was a proper treating needs only one go, but I start wondering if I get it all wrong 

I have done heat treating for years, usually one time only and in the stage when start bending decent and even on long string, if too much wood has been removed I do an additional sweep -  I wonder now  if I should do additional treatment after the bow is properly tillerd in future

[stuckinthemud]

I'll be interested to hear what others have to say on this.  I tend to heat treat (as opposed to correcting shape) after tiller is complete, then allow to stabilise and re-tiller if needed.  I treat slowly until I feel the back getting warm so I know the heat has gone in deep but I often get very little colour change, most of the builders on here go a lot darker than I do, I am sure I am under-cooking things but I always get a little nervous about scorching the bow.

[bownarra]

It depends what I'm making and trying to get out of it.
For a normal bow i would get a good bend going, somewhere around 20" of draw/ before any set shows up then heat treat.  Tiller it to near full draw then treat again if I felt it needed it.

[Pappy]

I do about like bownarra other than the initial straightening process when it is roughed in.  Not always the last time but almost always at 20 inches or so.
 Pappy