bending yew

[fujimo]

what is the best way to straighten, flip tips, or bend a yew stave.
wet heat(boiling? steam)
or dry heat- heat gun and cooking oil.
if its dry heat,can one see a colour and texture change in the yew as in the osage.
and if its wet heat, then for how long?
thanks
wayne

[Lil' Bow Pete]

I've had good results with boiling, for an hour. Make sure the wood is close to bow dimension and get on the form quickly. Leave it bent for 24 hours to cool and dry. I don't know if this is the best way but it works for me.I will be interested to see what other have to say. Maybe we can learn another way to do it.

[coaster500]

My trade bow had a natural slight flip on one end so I dry heated the other to match and it held (none working part). The other side of the story is the reflex I heated in the same way on the working limb did not hold and the bow came back to the original natural deflex the stave started with but who knows maybe the dry heat kept it from having more set?

[Pat B]

I asked Keenan about flipping the tips on the 47" Pacific Northwest style paddle bow I'm making. He said dry heat for slight reflex and flips, steam or boil for more dramatic bends. I had good results(so far) with dry heat for slightly flipped tips. I guess it would depend on how much bending you want to achieve.

[fujimo]

thanks guys- just wanting to flip the tips a bit, and maybe some slight straightening- the stave is pretty reasonable.
thanks

[Pat B]

When I use a heat gun for bending and straightening I use a little cooking oil to keep from scorching the wood. I also believe it holds the heat longer and distributes it more evenly.