Futurwood risers

[brickchoper]

Anyone have any history lessons for me on the use of futurwood. My super k. risers made of it. Need to kill some more of my curiosity bugs!! Why are the grains darker in spots than others? Iv'e noticed that when sanded down its hard to get a uniform color. Will this efect my finish coats? And will there be any issues when I aply the finish. Like oils?  Jim

[brickchoper]

Wow a boring topic I guess. No takers on this one. Just looking for a little info. Jim

[ckruse]

Be patient my friend! There aren't that many of us here, but the knowledge runs pretty deep. I'm sure someone who knows will be along to help out soon. CKruse

[JimB]

I'm no expert on it but I believe Futurewood was a wood like maple that had resin and dye impregnated in it under pressure.The denser parts of the wood didn't absorb as much,so they stayed lighter in color.That is the nature of the beast.I wouldn't expect it to be even in color.I don't think there would be a problem with most finishes.I'm not sure what you mean by "oils".

[ses]

i read article a while back that when bear starting using futurewood waste went from 70% down to 20% because they didn't have knots worm holes and such thing as with the exotic woods i went back to look for the article with no luck

[brickchoper]

Sorry about my impatients. Just trying to learn a little more about my super k. Before putting the finish to her. Waiting on the decal transfers for the top limb. All good info. So this futurewood was it a composite material then? Keep them coming if anyone knows. Thanks guys Jim

[JimB]

I wouldn't call it a composite material,just maple,impregnated with resin.Maple is a good hard wood already and the resin should make it a little heavier,more stable and fairly moisture resistant.

[PAPALAPIN]

I think JimB is right on.  My limited understnading is that they vacumm sucked the sap out of the wood, kiln dried it, then put the wood in a pressured vat with rosen and dye. to refill the voids left by the sap.

I don't know if the pressure treatment was before or after the riser handle was formed. I would think after, because the risen is only going to go in so deep.  If they pressure filled it before forming the riser handle, seems to me that the grip section might not have any rosen in it.

JimB says he is no expert, but he probably is more of one than me.

Just my thoughts.

[Grant Young]

Jim, the futurewood in your Super is maple as others have already said and everything else is accurate as well. The grain of wood is to some extent always connected to the relative density and the variations of it. Futurewood was a sort of by-product of the development of the Bear takedown bow. There are other names for the same process today and it turns the wood into a different material. It presented its own set of problems, similar to those associated with other man-made materials like phenolic. When two sanded surface were joined care had to be taken to rough up the surfaces because a smooth sanded area was almost like plexi-glass as the pores of the wood were alredy completely filled with resins. Many of the very early T/Ds delammed at the nose caps as did quite a few of the phenolic Super Ks. By 70 or 71 they had pretty much beat that problem and Futurewood bows rank among the toughest out there IMO. I love the look of the exotic materials used in the 60s but for my own use I prefer futurewood or its equivalent. I believe you would see even unimpregnated maple would show the color variations you've mentioned if it was dyed. Good stuff.    Grant

[brickchoper]

Yeah. This is good stuff. Always good to know your bow, inside and out. Thanks for all your input. Hope that I can can repay the favors someday. Will be asking more about my super kodiak. After I get it back in shooting shape. Hope to post more pics. As soon as I get my glue, and new decal.  Jim

[Stone Knife]

Didn't Bob Lee come up with the idea of impregnating riser wood with resin first? Dura wood

[JimB]

Weren't the early Bighorn bows made of a similar wood?I don't remember for sure what they called it-Ramwood?This is my 54" one piece,I ordered the 2nd year they were in business.I don't mind the uneven tones.

[TonyW]

Futurewood is the next best thing to petrified wood if you want your wood to last for a few million years. A diamond is forever, but futurewood is a close second.

[brickchoper]

Allright, now I'm learning!! Sounds like they did alot of thinking when the futurewood process came into play. Finaly got my loctite glue today. Start working on some small line filling in tomorrow. thanks for the history lessons guys.Jim

[M60gunner]

I want to add my 2 cents. The process is similar to making bowling pins if the info I have is right. Back about the same time Bear had Futurewood Remington Arms had what they called a bowling pin finish on their high end rifles. My first Jennings wood handle compound (1973) was done the same way. Seems he sent the handles to the midwest to have the ash handles processed. One reason he went to metal handles he stated.
Seems to me the process would stiffen the handle? It would keep the handle from flexing like the metal stip Jack Howard used in his handles. Any thoughts on that?