Adding Reflex Question (Pic Included)

[Goose Gossett]

I've either heard of this or made it up.  I don't have a form yet for selfbows but I feel like someone said to heat it up and hang some weights on the ends.  I set it up to paint a picture but is this a possibility.  Still using a heat gun and some vegetable oil would 10lbs be too much or does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[vanillabear?]

[walkabout]

ive seen this used to straighten a side to side bend in a limb but not used for reflexing. like bear said it will only pull on a general area, probably the area furthest from the weight(the fades)

[DVSHUNTER]

I would say with tongue in cheek that it will work but you would have to "stagger your heat" more in the fades and "taper" heat out to the tips until it "naturally bends where you want it then let it cool. Having said that, I always use a caul and would say thay is the BEST way.

[John Scifres]

Buy or scrounge a 2x6x72".  About $5 ought to do it.  Cut it out to your shape.  Here's mine.

 

[Pat B]

Use a form like other have said.
   You can use dry heat without oil to reflex your stave and by scorching the wood(to a chocolate brown) you can temper the belly at the same time and that should add a few more pounds of draw weight. After tempering give the bow plenty of time to cool(over night) before removing it from the form and allow a week for the wood to rehydrate before stressing it.

[walkabout]

i made my form out of some 1x6's that are screwed together, most of the hard work in it was ensuring that the top was flat enough. not sure how long it will last but for less than 10$ i cant complain, although i can only reflex one limb at a time..lol.

[Andrew Wesley]

if you go to the library and pick up a copy of The Trad Bowyers Bible vol. 4 you can get a ton of info on heat bending and treating wood. and it has lots of pics of different methods and forms that you can make.
(pics help me, i'm a visual learner, if i cant see what people are talking about i'm clueless.    )

[Goose Gossett]

I knew I saw that picture somewhere somewhere and I forgot what the form was called "caul"

Pat B: thanks for the tempering information that does sound like potential to add a few pounds and color.  

Now I need to find a table saw  

[Pat B]

Only temper the belly side and be careful of "wrap around" heat getting to the back.
  TBBII has a great section on bending wood. It is mostly about bending recurves but lots of helpful info anyway. The chapter on "recurves" in the same book is excellent also.