Sideways bending??

[Jakesnyder]

How much sideways bending can be done on black locust? The area is about 1 and 1/8in wide and like 1/4in thick. Would it be possible to bend it ?

[Hamish]

If its 1/4" thick, its shouldn't be too much trouble. If instead its 1 &1/4" thick, its still possible. I would steam in both circumstances, use a form and clamp it whilst it fully cools

[Jakesnyder]

Heres the stave in question. I know locust bends pretty good I just have never done alot of sideways bending

[Eric Krewson]

I have't bend locust but that would be a simple bend to correct in osage.

[M2A]

I think you could get that out. I usually use a heat gun, only because with steam it seems like I never have enough hands or time to do a good job before things start to cool too much, regardless on how well I think I'm prepared. My old heat gun died last week so just got a new fancy one because thats all the hardware store had. It has a digital display so been tinkering with with that over the weekend on what I hope is my trade bow for this year. At a setting of 650F I seem to be able to heat locust enough to bend. Anything less and it seems to not get the wood hot enough. This temperature does not heat treat the limbs, that will be todays project. I still need to slightly straighten in 2 areas and hope to do during the heat treatment now that I feel its close. Looks like you will need to take out a little more bend than I did. If you use dry heat I would suggest working on 6-8 inch areas at a time and let cool before moving on. I'm far from an expert but figured I'd share my experience because the timing was good. Before and after pics below. ..Oh yeah stick is reduced pretty good, I feel that makes a big difference in getting sideways bends out. Good luck on your piece.     
Mike


 IMG_3554 by Mike Allridge, on Flickr
 IMG_3557 by Mike Allridge, on Flickr         

[bownarra]

No need to try and get it straight.
Follow the grain and layout your bow.
Do not reduce the width of the handle area at all until you have the bow braced.
Once braced balance the bow with one tip on the ground and the other held loosely in your hand, eyeball where the string wants to sit naturally.
Then simply shape the handle to the string. Eg. if the string goes through the handle area at an angle shape the handle on the same angle.....perfect ly aligned string right through the middle of the handle for a no torque draw
With these sort of staves you can try and get them straight but you will use a good amount of heat, effort, clamps etc with no guarantee that once you brace it everything will 'line up' anyway.

[bownarra]

And don't forget that an earlier correction can be 'undone' when you heat treat or subject that area to a higher heat than the initial correction was made at.....

[Hamish]

Bowanarra, I'm in total agreement with you on this one. No heat treatment required if he's careful with layout. Keep the tips a little wide until its at brace height. That gives you an extra option of minor adjustment with the depth of one side of the nock as well as the handle width/placement.

[George Tsoukalas]

leave the handle wide and the tips wide so you can make corrections.
If you just run a string tip to tip does i fall  on the handle.
Jawge

[lleroy]

I did a sideways bend with Black Locust last week.
About 5 degrees bend, halfway up each billet...
Sizes were 1 1/2" width and about 3/4" thick at the site of bending.

I steamed for 35 minutes and bent a bit more than needed, and it's pretty straight now!
very happy - it was the first time I tried steam bending.

(next is my first time splice-in-the-handle !)

[George Tsoukalas]

Here is the way I do it.

http://traditionalarchery101.com/fixtwist.html

Jawge