Glass bow without a heat box?

[DavidWood]

How many people have made a glass bow without using a heat box? How well have the held up?  What have you used to glue them together?

[Roy from Pa]

Smooth On dries in 24 hours at 70 degrees.

[DavidWood]

Any risk of it delaminating? Is the purpose of the heatbox to bond it better or is it just to dry it faster?

[kennym]

I had a guy tell me he hasn't been heating them so the build I just did, I left it on the bench at 70* for 24 hours. I can't tell you how it will be in the long run tho....

[DavidWood]

Please keep me updated Kenny M.  Which bow was it?

[kennym]

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=014229

[KenH]

I've built a number of wood-glass composite bows with a rubberband mold and ambient drying temperatures, in several years have had no failures of bonding.   You do not need firehose/airpressure OR a heatbox to build wood-glass composites.

[Holm-Made]

I  use smooth on to glue all my overlays on.  I just cure them at room temp for 24 hours.  Your bow should be fine.  If you only build the occasional bow and you are concerned about it then put the form on the floor and build a tent over it with a tarp over saw horses.  Put a cheap space heater under it and get the temp up  between 110 and 150 degrees for 4-6 hours.  Baby sit it so you won't have a fire or anything......

Otherwise direct sunlight on it on a warm day will cure the smooth on just as quick as a hot box.

Most bowyers use Smooth-On... Trust me it is good stuff...  I have never heard of anyone have a failure for not using heat... But I have heard of people having issues using heat...

  Hey Roy... Epoxy doesn't dry... It cures...  

[Crittergetter]

I've done about 10 or so without heat and havnt had any issues with any of them. I have well Over 30,000 shots (estimated ) through one of my personal bows .  Still going strong.

[Roy from Pa]

Hey Shreddy, how ya know dat, did ya ask it?  

Lol...  Just a rumor I heard... All I ever asked it was to keep my lams together...  

[ty_in_ND]

I've made a few bamboo backed osage and ipe bows and a few trilams and didn't use a hot box to cure the Smooth On and they're all fine. I plan on tackling a glass bow in the near future and don't plan on using one.

To add to what Mr. Holm said, if you wait until things warm up, on a nice sunny day, you can use your vehicle as a hot box if the form fits in it.

[RJonesRCRV]

Maybe use your attic as a hot box.