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Mulberry warbow build along

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Marz5:
ok I'm a little confused ???

today I set about to untwist the stave
I'm not sure about the results
after steaming this is the setup I used:

I did it like this because I could only find one of the wooden clamps

this is my result

it still looks twisted :( something else I noticed one side has a concave shape to it ??? if I remember correctly the the concave side was up in the rig
I'm not sure if I should just keep going or if I should try to get it straighter?  :-\

--Mark R.

gstoneberg:
Mark,

Mulberry acts a lot like osage, but I don't remember ever bending a mulberry bow.  I had access to so much mulberry  that I only used staves that didn't need straightening or untwisting.  Everything else we burned in our fireplace insert.  I was a new bowyer back then too.

I heat bend using that setup all the time (but not with steam).  I have 2 suggestions.  If you have a long area to untwist, do it in 2 or 3 heatings with shorter sections so you don't have to work with so much bow in the air.  I think a form or caul might be a better choice when you have a long bend/untwist to do and want to do it in one shot.  And second, if you can, go a little closer to your final dimensions before bending it.  It'll be a lot easier for you.  I know with dry heat it takes a lot of heating to bend a bow as thick as yours is in the center.

Good luck,
George

Marz5:
the past couple days have been spent thinning the sapwood, later today I'll be working the belly down to get it to closer to "final" dimensions, as per George's advise.
one thing I noticed about the sapwood on mulberry is that the growth rings are made up of a light color wood which bends nicely, but the dark part of the ring is very porous with large pores also it is very brittle. I was going to leave the dark ring as the back but when I found out it was brittle I didn't. I'm not sure which is the early or late woods ???

I'll have pics up later today :)

--Mark R.

Marz5:
Here is what I've done during the past 3 days, sorry the pics are low quality my camera died so I used my phone

gstoneberg:
I'm following your progress closely.  I've never made a mulberry bow using the sapwood on the bow's back.  I know it's done, but I've not done it.  So far it looks good.

George

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