Heat bending deflex or letting it take set??

[Selfbowman]

Prove it for me.

[superdav95]

I believe the best way to make that design for the best performance would be clamp it to a form green, let it dry to the shape, then heat treat the belly.

If I heat treat a hickory or HHB bow that is fully tillered or close to 50#@28", it will gain so much weight I can no longer string it. I've heard guys say they get a 5# gain, I don't know if it's different wood type, but I always get a lot more gain.

I'm fairly new to bow building, but not building with wood, and coaxing wood is usually not bad, forcing it always is!

I agree don.  I’ve had the same effect on my heat treatment of white woods.  Especially hickory.  I’ve gone too far and too dark on occasion and found that the browning crept into and up to the back of the bow wood.  I’ve had failures more from these staves then just sticking to light brown on the belly leaving a pristine back.  Testing the limits of heat on white woods has led me to my own method but principle the same.   

Cheers

Dave

[Don W]

Speaking about a conventional R/D design (not the inverted like in the original picture)

In TBB1, Tim Baker says:

The cause of set, deflex, or string follow is irrelevant to a bow's performance

.

I think that maybe this line gets read wrong.

If you read it like this:
--The cause of set is irrelevant to a bow's performance
--The cause of deflex is irrelevant to a bow's performance
--The cause of string follow is irrelevant to a bow's performance

Which the word "or" seems to apply it makes a little more sense.

I'm not sure he meant that set induced reflex would be the same.

Total speculation on my part though

[txdm]

I think you're right Don... that's a good way to put it.