Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: dane lund on January 26, 2015, 04:54:40 pm

Title: Vine maple and heat treating/bending
Post by: dane lund on January 26, 2015, 04:54:40 pm

I guess the question is in the title. Have a kids vine maple that I need to straighten, and heat some reflex into.
Dry heat OK?

Title: Re: Vine maple and heat treating/bending
Post by: steve b. on January 26, 2015, 04:58:12 pm

Dry heat is the only way to put some reflex in it, as far as I know, but if you are bending the bow laterally in a limb or at the handle then I would steam.  Straighten it first and then heat treat it.

Title: Re: Vine maple and heat treating/bending
Post by: vinemaplebows on January 26, 2015, 08:29:24 pm

Never seen much help (other then dryer wood) heat treating vine maple. Whoops ::) my mind was on heat treating not straightening....I agree with Mullet, that's what I use.

Title: Re: Vine maple and heat treating/bending
Post by: mullet on January 26, 2015, 09:11:22 pm

I use the Micro wave oven with wet rags wrapped around what I'm bending.

Title: Re: Vine maple and heat treating/bending
Post by: Gordon on January 27, 2015, 01:04:15 am

Dry heat works fine on vine maple as long as the wood is dry.

Title: Re: Vine maple and heat treating/bending
Post by: dane lund on January 27, 2015, 10:35:18 pm

Thanks guys!

I was pretty successful last night. Induced about 1 ½" of reflex, and took most of a dogleg out of one tip.
I'm going to re tiller a bit, see where the string lies, and if necessary, heat and adjust a bit.

Thanks for all your help!!

Title: Re: Vine maple and heat treating/bending
Post by: Springbuck on January 30, 2015, 03:27:31 pm

Quote from: vinemaplebows on January 26, 2015, 08:29:24 pm

Never seen much help (other then dryer wood) heat treating vine maple. Whoops ::) my mind was on heat treating not straightening....I agree with Mullet, that's what I use.

 This surprises me.  Heat treating greatly improves bows made of my local wild maple in Utah.  Climate is different, of course.....

If you steam reflex into most woods and tiller, much of the reflex will just pull out.