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Well, I believe I believe

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possum:
I never actually gave it much thought before.  But toasting a belly was just one of them techniques for master bowyers and nutty folks in my book. :-\  I mean, who wants to fry a bow? ???  But I had a small hickory bow I made my son a few years ago that had always been a poor performer.  It doesn't help that it was a scrapped piece of wood with a loopty-loo right off one fade and that made for a horrible tiller.  It wasn't bad for what it was but I had always wanted better. :-[  Maybe I can just never be satisfied.  Maybe.
Anyway, yesterday my hellions... err, children were just not exhibiting the kind of behavior that I could have trusted them to be by themselves whilst I whittle away some time in the BatCave so I just brought the little bow up and carefully strung it up backwards and proceeded to apply heat.  In the loopty-loo I noticed moisture of some sort coming to the surface.  I deduced it had to be the Crisco I used to try and tame that evil.  I wiped it off and kept the heat on it for a while and kept that up til I figured I got it all.  That section never really turned brown... orange maybe but not brown.  Then I went on to the rest of the limbs.  After unstringing this thing had about 5 inches of reflex! :o  It had about 1" before I started.  I figured it will pull out some after shooting.  I left it to cool overnight.
I strung it up and took an arrow weighing about 363 grains, more than 10 grains per pound but you can only get so light after a point you know. :-\  Well, she shot considerably faster and kept impacting about 6" higher than where I was looking and used to her flinging that arrow. :o  So... I believe, I believe, OK?  Twisting my arm never felt so satisfying before. :)  Except maybe when Mrs. Possum had to convince me to finish the ice cream in the fridge. ;D

possum

Pappy:
I have had the same experience,I almost always do mine now,It will help it hold backset and generally add some weight. :)
   Pappy

DanaM:
Haven't tried it yet, waiting for TBB4 with Marc's chapter.

OldBow:
Good story. How was that ice cream?
Didn't know Marc was doing a TBBIV chapter. He's pretty much the guru on heat treating limbs. Will definitely buy the book.

DanaM:
I hope he's doing a chapter?

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