When toasting osage ...

[talkingcabbage]

How far do you go? Do you toast to black or some varying shade of brown? How much is too much, and how much is not enough?

[John Scifres]

Medium brown for me.

[Black Mockingbird]

Light to no more than medium brown...I basically move the gun to the next spot over after I see a color change...which don't take as long with osage as it does other woods

[talkingcabbage]

So here's the next logical question ... What happens if you go too far? Is there a point of diminishing returns, so to speak? Is there a point where you take a chance of doing damage to the bow, or flat out ruining it, by roasting too much?

[talkingcabbage]

[Bowjunkie]

I think your own signature statement answers your question nicely...

"One of two things will happen; it'll either work or it won't."

 

[John Scifres]

You can go too far by actually burning the wood which will destroy cells instead of plasticizing and then hardening.

Another hazard is getting the heat wrapping around to the back which can decrease its tension strength and cause a failure there.

If you smell smoke, you have probably gone too far.

[Bowjunkie]

I like the smell of hot osage. And hickory has a pleasing nutty aroma under the gun

[canopyboy]

I always think hickory has a burnt popcorn smell to it.....

[talkingcabbage]

Well, its too late now anyway, but thanks for the advise John. I think that's probably what I did. I took it to a very dark brown, even slightly black in spots not knowing what I was doing. She shoots pretty nice regardless, but the next one I'm gonna take it easy. I can tell the cast is a bit slower than what it should be. I did let it rehydrate for a couple weeks after, and sanded the blacker spots to lighten them up, but I could tell I'd done it too much.
I've still got a couple staves left, but I'll have to cut some more this winter and restock my inventory.

Funny side note:  as I was just typing "restock" on my phone it tried to auto correct to "testicles". Good thing I caught that one!