Steaming hickory to flip tips

[jtbluefeather871]

I've got a nice straight grained hickory blank all cut out, and thought I'd try flipping the tips. No heat gun, but I can steam it while the wife is at work.   :D  so, how long should I steam it, how far down the limbs, etc?

2nd question... How do you find the how to section in here?
Thanks

[Nim-rod]

I steam for 40 minutes with about 8" hanging over the pot and tin foil covering it all.
You have to be on the "forum Home" page and go way down and you will see it under the "Topic Archives" section.

[jtbluefeather871]

Thanks Nim-rod!  How long do you leave it in the clamps?

[Nim-rod]

I leave it for around 3 hours so it can cool and lose some of the moisture then start on the other side. So far so good doing that. It may not need as much clamp time but more is always better than not enough. I won't string it for a few days with at least one of those days in my hot box.

[jtbluefeather871]

What does the hot box do?

[Nim-rod]

Basically it's a low temp oven. Lamination bow guys use it to bake their bows to cure glue. I use it to cure backings and to dry staves out. Mine has 3 100 watt bulbs on a dimmer switch so I can control heat. I used reflective styrofoam insulation so I can get temps upwards of 190 if I want.

[red hill]

Nim-rod, how long would it take to "season" a split stave in your heat box? A rough estimate.

[jtbluefeather871]

I've got a hot box, the dimmer switch is a great idea! Stealing that.  Do you put the steamed wood in to dry it out then?  And how long at what temp?

[okie64]

Not trying to hijack your thread jt, but since you guys are talkin about steamin let me throw a question in here. Ive always used dry heat for bending wood but I never have a whole lotta luck with hickory and dry heat so I was thinkin about steamin some myself. Anyways, it seems like I remember reading somewhere someone said before you steam to put shellac on the part of the limbs you're going to steam. Does that sound right to anyone or did I dream that up?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Shellac the entire part your steaming. Be it the whole bow or just the tips or handles area.

[jtbluefeather871]

Too late, I steamed one end last night, and have the other end clamped up now! What does the shellac do?

[jtbluefeather871]

No worries, okie. You're asking questions I didn't even know to ask!  

[Pat B]

The shellac prevents moisture from entering your dry bow wood. Shellac, unlike most finishes and sealents, can handle the heat and moisture of the steaming or boiling process.

[jtbluefeather871]

Well crap.  So should I put my newly bent stick in my bow oven to dry it out? Or just scrap it and move on? Or set it aside for awhile and let it dry out naturally?

[Pat B]

No need to scrap it but you should seal it ASAP or you are lible to see drying cracks(checks) in the back. I would seal the back and set the stave aside to dry naturally. You can put it is the hot box to speed up the process but sealing is a must no matter how you handle it.

[PEARL DRUMS]

It wont take much more than a few days for it to dry back out. Seal the back asap as Pat mentioned or you will get splits in the back.

[jtbluefeather871]

I have no shellac, but I do have TB3 and epoxy.  Would one of those work?

[Pat B]

Use the TBIII. A thin coat is all you need as a vapor barrier.

[jtbluefeather871]

On it. Thanks!