Author Topic: Red Elm heat bending?  (Read 1891 times)

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Offline J05H

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Red Elm heat bending?
« on: May 14, 2010, 11:18:47 am »
     I am going today to pick up a red elm stave from a friend of mine.  I was wondering what is the best way to induce some reflex in red elm? Dry heat or steam?
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Offline El Destructo

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Re: Red Elm heat bending?
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2010, 01:40:08 pm »
Josh....is it a seasoned stave ?....I have had bad luck using dry heat on Elm in the past....so I always boil the Tips now when I want reflex....or steam if its still green.
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Offline PeteC

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Re: Red Elm heat bending?
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2010, 02:33:50 pm »
If your stave is green,you can build a simple form to shape the reflex your wanting,then,rough out your bow to the floor tiller stage,then clamp it to the form.Leave it on the form a month,then remove,then put it in a warm dry place for a few weeks.Weigh it on a digital scale ,then repeat every couple of days until the weight stabilizes.When it has reached equilibrium,you can finish tillering.A drying box will speed the process up even more.I have built elm bows that hold reflex,just 2 months after felling the tree,and that's without a drying box. If your stave is already dry,you could try dry  heat for your reflex.I've had good success with it,but use oil (vegg.oil or bacon drippings)on the area to heat.If you are going for recurved tips,then steam or boil,just be sure to put a good coat of shellac on the area  intended to heat.One more thing ,if the stave is dry and tillered to brace height,you can clamp it down on the same simple form previously mentioned,then heat treat the limbs in reflex. JMHO God Bless
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Offline J05H

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Re: Red Elm heat bending?
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2010, 08:07:00 pm »
It is over 12 years seasoned.  I think I'll try the dry heat with veg' oil.  One other thing, should I use the sapwood or take it down to the heart wood?
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Offline El Destructo

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Re: Red Elm heat bending?
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2010, 11:14:04 pm »
I would not go down to Heartwood....It's a Whitewood...the first growth under the Bark is as good as any...unless it was Violated
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Red Elm heat bending?
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2010, 11:56:55 pm »
Elm is ring porous.  A bit harder to follow a ring than Osage or BL but it can be done.  I have built a few Elm bows that were strictly heartwood only and they worked quite well but generally I will use the first ring under the bark
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Offline J05H

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Re: Red Elm heat bending?
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2010, 01:10:53 pm »
Thanks everyone for the advice but it turns out it was osage. The guy was only about 60% sure it was elm.  Turns out he was wrong. Cleanest and straightest piece of osage I've seen.
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