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Boiling Hickory

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Will B:
I steam bend my hickory recurves and always shellac the back (as Pat B recommended) and steam for 40 minutes. I keep them 1-inch wide and 1/2” thick. I always leave them in the form overnight. I’ve never had a problem with the recurves pulling out. Good luck

superdav95:
What will b said and pat b said.  Only thing I’ll add is that I would also do like stick said and leave in the form overnight.  Also I do little thicker then 1/2” between 1/2”-3/4”  and keep belly side to single growth ring to prevent lifting when you bend. You can thin out later.   I prefer to boil mine for 35-40 mins then right into the form.  Steam works too.   I don’t shellack mine but I do use a poly when sealing the stave back to let it season and dry. This prevent checking for me.   I’ve had good luck with this method.  After letting it sit in form overnight and acclimate some I set it with heat gun to keep the recurve.  Hope this helps. 

ShorterJ:
Thank you all very much for the replies.  Hopefully I will have better success the next time I do this.  The other problem I have discovered is that each end has a large crack from the center to the back of the bow after I bent them.  It looks like a drying check but I’m assuming it’s just from too much compression during bending. These cracks appeared shortly after I bent the curves, so I wouldn’t think they could be from drying?

bownarra:
Any check like that is due to drying incorrectly.
Boil them underwater.
No need for the shellac - boiling steaming actually reduces the moisture content but in a reasonably controlled manner. you can steam boil completly green wood with no problems. don't worry about that part of it.
Belly worked to one growth ring in essential.
As is making them thin enough. 1/2" on the limb edges is plenty - in fact probably a little too thick. The thicker the wood the more heat and stress needed.
you only need to leave them on the form until the wood is cold.
Dry heat afterwards makes no difference if you bend them correctly first time around.
If they pull out either you are far too thin at the tips or you simply didn't get the wood hot enough. the latter is your issue combined with not enough patatince when the bow was in the form.
Remember it isn't the surface of the wood I am talking about here with regards to heat/cooling - it is the middle of the stave that matters :)

BowEd:
I do much like those who commented earlier.
To me that little bit of checking in your picture won't be a problem.

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