Shakespeare Ocala - Salvageable?

[lolvo240]

Hi all,

Apologies for posting this thread after loading my other one up with drool-worthy pictures of antique bows... but tonight is the night I finally got my camera all emptied out, so I'm going to have to post some cringe-worthy pictures too...    :(  

Around 6:30 this evening, I acquired what I thought was a lovely Shakespeare Ocala with some minor limb twist, a couple of paint spots, and a well-used string. What I actually got was an Ocala with a nearly-snapped string and quite a lot of limb twist. I've read about Shakespeare bows on these forums and elsewhere, and this particular bow fits my hand like I was born holding it. It just breaks my heart that the limbs are twisted, and I don't know if they can be un-twisted, or whether the bow is even safe to shoot (though my instincts tell me no). Is something like this salvageable? Or am I doomed to stare at this thing hanging on my wall forever more?

     
   
   
   
   
   
     

In case anyone is wondering, I picked it up for a song and an hour's drive through terrible, winding, nervewrackingly hilly backroads - courtesy of a new, "improved" Google Maps update.

[TonyW]

[lolvo240]

Thanks! I'll try these and post some updates when I've either straightened it out... or accidentally destroyed it. Either way, I'm going to sit here all day thinking about it.

[TonyW]

Try "A-2" and be patient.
You may be amazed at the results if you are patient and persistent.

No need to soak it in warm water - better to wrap limbs in an electric blanket.

[eidsvolling]

I've been able to bring a Kodiak around in the past with just A-2 applied with my hands and no heat.

I've been using a hybrid of A-1 and A-2 for several days now on a severely twisted Super Kodiak, without the heat. It's starting to hold position while under slight tension from a too-long string. I have high hopes at this point.

[Pack animal]

Hello lolvo240
I always see the potential in these old neglected and abused bows, so I have a tendency to take the risk of buying one which could be beyond salvage....
A couple of times I have been able to fix a minor twist without heat( A-1 & repeatedly reminding the limbs where they should be, including leaving a bow stung for several days, un-stringing it, restringing, and "gently" drawing it).  Twice I have had to resort to repeatedly heating the bow(A-2) and been successful in salvaging the bow.  One particularly bad case I wound up leaving the bow in traction( twisted in the opposite direction )and repeatedly heating and cooling.  It took several weeks to save this bow.
So far I have only lost two bows; one I could never get to "not" go back to the twisted state, and one which actually blew apart under the pressure I was applying(I got hasty and went too far)OOOppps...
So you may be able to save it, just be patient and keep working it.

[mahantango]

Believe it or not, I was able to un-twist a 35# Shakespeare Sierra that was at least as bad as that. Clamped it in an "over-corrected" position for a entire day which got most of it out, then stringing, tweaking, shooting got the rest. Been probably 10 years now, both my kids learned to shoot on it, plus many others. Good luck, and go slow, be patient, and be careful with heat and water.

[hardbern]

Is that string too short?
Brace looks very high & string not sitting in grooves very far - won't help any twisted limb probs.

[lolvo240]

Hi all,

I've been slowly working the bow back towards true over the course of the week, twisting it back into alignment over a pot of boiling water a little at a time every night when I get home. I finally got to go to the range and shoot it today, and I'm pretty impressed. It's not 100% straight still, but it seems to be getting better, rather than worse. I used the string from my Cub (it's too short for the Cub anyway), and it shoots reasonably well now. It's also the perfect shape for me, and when I draw it back my thumb rests right along my chin. Not bad for a twenty dollar bow