Heat Straightening

[Dave Bowers]

Hiya fellas, its been awhile since I've been in my shop. I have a question about straightening staves/bows with heat. All my wood is dry...roughly 2 years dry. I have a few roughed out that need straightening and I'm assuming dry heat for those?
But my other question is for the staves; (which are dry also)? Straighten before roughing them out, or wait till they're a bit shaped?

Thanks in advance
Dave

[DVSHUNTER]

Shape em a bit. It makes it easier to heat straighten.

[Dave Bowers]

Thanks DVS, I've read so many different theories it starts getting confusing.

[David Flanrey]

Dave,
What kind of wood you got there?  How thick are the staves?  Reason I ask is because your staves probably are not as dry as you think.  If they are osage, I doubt it.  Take the bark and sapwood off and down to a ring and seal up the back with some wood glue and let them dry some more in the house or somewhere dry.  If they are still a little moist when you put the heat to them they will check (crack).

[Dave Bowers]

Dave, mostly hickory and some maple. All my wood has had the bark taken off and sealed a while ago. Can't really give a gauge for thickness...as they all range? But if I have too guess maybe 1.5x1.5 for most?

[Pat B]

Dave you will have better luck with steam for the hickory. Get the stave at least to floor tiller stage so you don't have so much wood to move. I think I would seal the area to be steamed with shellac to help prevent the stave from taking on moistyure while steaming. Shellac can take the heat and moisture.

[Dave Bowers]

Pat, I think steam is what I'm gonna do. Just took it off the clamps from last night and dry heat produced very little change.
Thanks for the tip using shellac, I wasn't aware of that. Stay tuned we'll see how it goes.

[D]

Not to highjack the tred but how do you steam it???  Just hold it over a pot of boiling water or something??  I've never tried it but have some hickory that I'm wanting to flip the tips on.

[Pat B]

When I did it I use a large pot on our kitchen stove. Place the area to be bent or straightened over the pot and cover with aluminum foil making sure to wrap it around the sections of the bow that lang over the pot so the heat doesn't come up around the pot and scorch the bow. You will need to boil it for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes then, quickly get it clamped on the form before it cools.

[D]

Oh ok thank ya Pat.

[Pat B]

Have everything ready when the wood is ready to work. You will have less than a minute to get it clamped.

[Grey Taylor]

What would you use to heat straighten yew, steam or dry heat?

Guy

[Pat B]

Dry heat works well with yew.

[Grey Taylor]

Thanks, Pat. Once I get this stave further reduced I'll give it a go.

Guy

[Pat B]

Get it to at least floor tiller stage. The less wood you have to bend the easier it is to bend.