« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: Bending green wood  (Read 3174 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Don Case

  • Guest
Bending green wood
« on: December 18, 2013, 03:00:35 pm »
If I clamp a shape into a green stave and let it season like that, is that shape more permanent than if I steamed or heat bent it after seasoning?
Don
Logged

Offline PEARL DRUMS

  • Member
  • Posts: 14,079
  • }}}--CK-->
Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2013, 03:19:33 pm »
Ive never tried Don. But it seems naturally reflexed wood holds more than heated reflex. So why wouldn't a dried in reflex hold better than heat?
Logged
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Oglala Bowyer

  • Member
  • Posts: 175
Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2013, 04:06:24 pm »
Don it'll hold just fine. I've done that to a number of plains shorties.
Logged

Don Case

  • Guest
Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2013, 08:31:28 pm »
I don't think I recommend this for Ocean Spray. I collected a really nice 72"x 2"dia piece day before yesterday. Yesterday I debarked and roughed the belly. It had about an inch of sideways bend so I clamped it to a 2x4. It took quite a bit of force to take the sideways bend out. I sealed the ends but not the belly or back. I looked today and I have never seen so much checking. I stopped counting at 25 checks, mostly on the back. I guess I got overconfident, I usually shellac the back and so far have not had any, I mean none, checks. Mostly I'm writing this off to not shellacking the back but I wonder if the strain of bending  contributed to it? Anyway this nice stave is useless now. Too bad, six foot pieces of OS are rare. :( :(
Logged

Offline Forest_Farmer

  • Member
  • Posts: 208
  • The best things in life are not things,,,,,,!
Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2013, 01:18:33 am »
I was wondering the same thing about working with green wood.  I just worked down a Osage limb removing all the sap wood and then sealed the whole stave with Elmers glue. It has a bad bend and twist on one end and wondered if I should try working it without heat by clamping to a board.  I will wait to see more replies to your post before I try anything.
I know I should wait for the wood to cure but I'm néw to this and just ichin to make another bow.
Logged
When I stop learning please put me in a box!

Offline George Tsoukalas

  • Member
  • Posts: 9,425
    • Traditional and Primitive Archers
Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2013, 10:14:56 am »
Remove the bark, rough it out, shellac or poly the back and steam it. I don't remember doing this but it should work. I think Torges uses it and it is mentioned in his book "Hunting the JOsage Bow". He uses shellac. Jawge
Logged
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline NeolithicMan

  • Member
  • Posts: 562
  • No beliefs, just ideas
Re: Bending green wood
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2013, 10:32:17 am »
I split a 2" diameter hickory sapling and clamped in a lot of reflex and slightly curved tips. the bow died due to later mistreatment on my part but the green wood held a good amount of the shape I left it in. thats the only one I have done but I heard of elm being a good candidate for this method
Logged
John, 40-65# @ 28" Central New York state. Never enough bows, never enough arrows!
Pages: [1]
« previous next »