Best degreasing befor glue up?

[spyder1958]

Hey gang, What have you had the best success degreasing the bow after heat treat before gluing on backing?
Also, do I wait days or reheat bow after cleaning before glue up?

I applied lard to bow limbs and heated to re-curve the tips lightly. I then wiped the limbs with clean rag, then again with xylene. Today I cleaned with simply green and again with Xylene. lite sanding and the wood still seems like it has grease in the wood as it clogs the sand paper where it didn't before the heat-up. Just what to do this right the first time. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Graylan

[bubby]

regular old Dawn dish soap, heck that's what they use on birds and such that get caught up in oil spills, works great on bows

[Bryce]

Acetone.

[spyder1958]

Thanks Bub & Bryce. Do you glue up that day or wait?

[Bryce]

Acetone vaporizes in seconds. Just pour over the bow, wipe down real good. Then she's ready to go.

[spyder1958]

Thanks Bryce, I have toluene and xylene but I'm out of acetone. Hope they work

[osage outlaw]

I use acetone and dawn.  I quit using oil while heat treating after I had a sinew backing come loose. 

[simson]

I use oven-cleaner (foam spray). Let on for about 15 min, wash it carefully with clear water. ready to go.
Have also used acetone, sometimes with no good results (once with on a really fat osage with two times lift off sinew, I will post that bow when I have a photograph).

simson

[Eric Krewson]

In my opinion degreasing is an unnecessary step unless you are dealing with some of the tropical hardwoods that are like a bar of soap or gluing backing to a piece of wood that has a finished back that has been sitting in the shop collecting dust for years.

Degreasing is just another bowmaking old wives tale that is picked up by everyone(including myself early on) and passed on as necessary. If you are working with a freshly cut or sanded bow back and backing  degreasing is unnecessary. I have never had a glue failure since I quit degreasing and have made a pile of bamboo backed bows since.

[osage outlaw]

Eric, he applied lard to the bow while heat bending it.  That's why he is trying to degrease it.

[soy]

Acetone has oil in it, denatured alcohol is better ...for lard i agree with bubby dawn+hot water

[spyder1958]

Thanks to all for your advise.
Outlaw, If you don't use oil when heating, what do you use?

[osage outlaw]

Just a heat gun, no oil or anything like that.  I just go slow and keep the gun moving.  I did use a little oil on a bow at the Tenn. Classic this spring.  I didn't notice a difference.  I mostly work with osage so I'm not sure how well it will work on other woods.

A lot of people use oil when heat bending.  I'm not saying my way is any better.  Everybody has their own way of doing things and thats great.  Do whatever works for you.  For me, oil caused a problem so I tried it with out using it and had good results. 

[spyder1958]

Thanks again outlaw. I was heating lemonwood and testing on some cypress, I think I'm getting things to hot, even with the lard, had some dis-color, althought lite. I'm learning, but slow and hate to mess up good wood. I'm working some ipe and boo, and then on to the osage I got from a trade with dave (hedgeapple). the osage will need heat to take out some prop twist.
Thanks again

[Eric Krewson]

OOPS! I missed the lard part, yep gotta' degrease.

I haven't used any oil yet when I bend wood but haven't recurved tips in a while so I don't know if it is necessary or not. I keep my heat gun moving, quick passes and only see discoloration of the wood if I happen to start daydreaming and slow down my heat gun passes or get too aggressive in a difficult spot that won't move easily.