Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Blacktail on March 24, 2011, 07:12:24 pm
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does any one know what has the most history behind it for bending wood...i am think that steam has been used for a longer time...BUT,i might be very wrong about it..dont ask me why i am asking this...its just a question that keeps coming up in my head...thanks john
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John, I'd say it would be steam or boiling in modern times but indigenous people have been using dry heat(fire) and grease to manipulate wood for as long as they have been working with wood.
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Pit fire ovens are often steam heating arrangements and I've read at least on account of native Americans using such an arrangement to heat shape elk horn strips for horn bows. Dry heat was used on green and dry wood. (Again based on reading, I can't site sources.) Shaping wood by bending the wood green and then tying to a form and allowing the wood to cure in the form was also used. That suggests that all three methods were used by prehistoric ( in the sense of before written records) peoples. That sort of makes a definitive answer impossible. Ron