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Osage and Dry heat? Revisited

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bradsmith2010:
if you dont have a moisture meter,, you are just guessing... if you having a problem,, there is a reason,,

Eric Krewson:
I never get any checking on heat corrections, I don't use oil, I only heat a limb enough to get it moving. I use the "can I still hold my finger on the wood briefly" method of determining the temperature I want. 

I heat my limb in the channel of a piece of aluminum angle, this distributes heat really well, the aluminum soaks up heat, gets really hot and stays that way.

I do use wood forms as well and wrap the correction with tee shirts but still go light on the heat.

After I gently make the correction and while the wood is still clamped, I wrap the limb and the piece of aluminum in several tee shirts to let the retained heat in the aluminum soak slowly into the wood. I leave everything clamped and covered until the aluminum and wood return to room temperature.

My method is seldom a one-shot deal, it is bend, cool and check, bend, cool and check until I am satisfied with correction.

bentstick54:
I agree Brad, I’m just guessing, but trying to make educated guesses lol. I need to pick up a moisture meter rather than winging it, but just haven’t been trying any serious heat corrections until recently, so has not been a problem in the past.

When searching the internet for pin moisture meters I see them starting around $13 and going up from there. How expensive of one would everyone recommend for just an occasional user?

bentstick54:
Thanks for your input Eric.

bjrogg:
Totally agree with Pearl on the to much moisture yet.

I do alway seal my back on any wood as soon as I first expose it. No matter how long it’s been cut. I’ve had staves that were aged when I got them and left with the bark on for a couple years before I got to them.

Chased a ring on them and the next day they already had drying checks. I had a quite a few that checked on me before I sealed the back. Never really hurt the bow, but some people don’t like the look of it.

It’s not just dry heat either. I’ve had it happen with steam to.

Bjrogg

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