Selfbows breaking in Iraq

[Bear Heart]

I overheard some local bowyers talking about the problem of having selfbows break in Iraq because the heat would dry them out too much.  Has anyone heard of this?  Any fixes?

[Osagetree]

If I was in Iraq I'd be carrying my .50cal!!!!    

boiled linseed oil?

God bless our soldier's  

[Brian Krebs]

Are they making them there - or taking them there?

[JBiorn]

Too much time in the hot direct sunlight in an environment the wood isn't accustomed to?

[vermonster13]

Possible they are spending a lot of time strung also. A lot of the fellows aren't going to know how to care for a selfbow

[Osagetree]

Selfbows have been tested to a certain draw lenght. Go beyond that too far and it could be a gone'r.

One thing you don't do with a self bow is pass it around to someone that may over draw the bow. I try to remember to tell people that before handing them mine to draw.

[longbowben]

Its to hot to even imagaine.The first day i steped off our aircraft i went to night shift.To hot for this northen boy.

[JBiorn]

Yeah, what a garden spot.

[Bear Heart]

Brian: The one I heard about were brought there.  I believe the bows they had were finished with some type of "natural" wood finish.

[Pat B]

Hang them in the shower area.    Pat

[JBiorn]

I don't know about the shower area---too wet. I would suggest putting them in the ordinance area though---someplace as cool as possible and dark.

[Pat B]

As dry as I perceive Iraq to be, I don't think the shower area would add too much moisture to the bows but would bring them up to a not-so-dangerous M/C.   Pat

[d. ward]

May have to start unstringing them everytime the guy's are done shooting..The wood is takeing set from the heat..Kinda like your bow strung in the trunk of your car on a 90 degree day.165 degrees in the trunk.120 degrees will delam braced up laminated bows about everytime if exposed to that heat for very long.bd

[Tree man]

Pat B. is dead on. You are talking about a sometimes very hot but almost always low humidity environment in Iraq. Storing the bows in the most humid area you can find is unlikely to be truly soggy but will help conteract all of the time spent in sub 10% ambient humidity. Store a selfbow in your garage in the American Desert Southwest and you run into  the same problems.

[Pat B]

Wood bows should be unbraced after each use, especially in such extreme conditions.    Pat