heat bending osage

[wolfshadow]

I've got a Wagner heat gun, and will try to bend a 1/2 in. dogleg out of the last 10 inches of a limb. I've got a vise rigged up to bend slowly. My question: Should I put some spacers underneath to let the limb heat from all sides as uniformly as I can? Rather than lay it on a flat surface and expect to heat from the top down through the limb.  Any videos available?

[wolfshadow]

here's pic.  Some of you have seen this before.
 

[PEARL DRUMS]

On bends that severe and short I like to move the whole limb over at the handle, to me its safer. I have tried to make sharp bends like that move and they crack or break.

[Pat B]

You are probably not gonna get that dog leg out. You will however be able to get the tip to allign better with the rest of the limb.
  I use cooking oil on osage when heat straightening. I think it helps to distribute the heat better, hold the heat longer and it helps prevent scorching. I oil all sides but only heat the belly and sides. Take it slow and allow the heat to sink in. On thicker wood I will heat it up well and wrap in aluminum foil for about 10 minutes then continue to heat more. This helps insure the heat goes all the way through.  Do be careful the heat doesn't wrap around the stace and scorch the back. That can be deadly to a wood bow. Also, give the wood plenty of time to rehydrate before stressing that area.

[wolfshadow]

here's pic.  Some of you have seen this before.
 

[wildcat hunter]

I was working some Osage last year and I laid the bow on the woodstove, Not on purpose to ben d anything, next thing I see the tip heading to the floor! The heat from the stove let it get soft - and it was soft! I put it back to where it should be and let it cool. It still shoots ok.

[DVSHUNTER]

Pat and pearl offered sound advice. I would leave the swirl in it and heat the limb everywhere else to line it all up.

Everytime i see that pic it makes me wish it was time for mojam.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Plus dog legs in limbs are sweet!

[wolfshadow]

Originally posted by PEARL DRUMS:
Plus dog legs in limbs are sweet!

yeh, MOJam was neat and that's where I bought the stave this came from.  Bad selection for my first attempt at osage; but Ive learned a lot.  I don't mind the snake bend, but the vow torques in my hand because of the offset of that bend.  So I'm going to heat the limb close to the handle and see what happens.  
Thanks for ya'lls advice.  I'm learning a little everyday.

[Eric Krewson]

I have done a lot of heat bending in the past and I can just about guarantee your limb will split on the inside of the bend if you try to take that much dogleg out.

Been there, done that, several times.

[okie64]

Leave that kink in it. Heres a pic of an osage bow I built awhile back with an almost identical dogleg to what you got there. I had to do a little heat bending to get the string to line up but if you try to take all of that bend out it is going to crack.
 

[Pat B]

You really need to get the stave to a low brace height to see how the string tracks so you will know where or if you need to straighten it.

[Bert Frelink]

I am with Okie, "Leave that kink in it."
Do whatever you need to at the tips to get the string to line up, just my $0.002.
Have fun building your bow and good luck.
Bert.

[coaster500]

 

[Bowjunkie]

"You really need to get the stave to a low brace height to see how the string tracks so you will know where or if you need to straighten it."

Now THIS is 'sage' advice!

With wood already seasoned, you can align it as best you can in the layout by getting a string layed over the tips to track over the center of the handle, but unless it needs a major and obvious correction, you shouldn't make too many heat-bending decisions(or actions) prior to bringing the thing to a low brace height and then visually critiquing it so you know EXACTLY where to heat it and how much to move it.