Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Jefficus on November 16, 2015, 08:13:20 pm
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In what ways is this better/worse than steam? Water just evaporates out, but how do you get the oil out of the wood completely after it's bent?
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It doesn't penetrate that deep into the wood, the oil just holds heat without scorching. A little oil in the wood isn't necessarily a bad thing anyway.
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Some of the best on here has said wash it with dawn (blue) dish washing soap.....it is good stuff... ;)
DBar
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I have never used oil while making heat corrections with the heat gun, have done it hundreds of times, and never scorched the wood, or caused a crack or check to open... not once. That causes me to believe it's unnecessary.
By the way, I only use the heat gun on reasonably dry wood.
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i grease my bows and burnish with a stone and or antler .i heat bend the same, grease it , heat it, bend it, let it cool, like that. does nothing bad to the wood at all. not on hardwoods anyhow.i will ad i heat with flame as in fire. i dont use a heat gun. it will scorch without it. Tony
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No need to worry unless you are thinking of gluing it.
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Cool thanks everyone!
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I use paraffin oil for heat corrections and for heat treatment. This oil indicates when temp is too hot - it begins to damp and stink. So it's a good indicator, at least for me ...
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I have the opposite experience to Dances with Squirrels when it comes to dry heat(with osage at least). I used to get a lot of little cracks and fissures until I started using oil, especially in really old osage. I haven't had the problem with white woods, and its also less of a problem with wide thin limbs (osage). More of an issue if Elb designs that tend to have a thicker belly/core.
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I don't have much problem doing heat correction or tempering on bare wood, either, as long as the bends I'm attempting are reasonable. But oiling the wood seems to pull the heat in, get the heat distribution and color nice and even, and prevents me from burning it as much.
I have never bothered to try to get the oil out, and the only reason I can think of that I would is if I needed to glue something on or laminate it, and since I only do any heat correction on selfbows, I'ts never come up. It soaks in, cooks off, and the wood feels pretty dry and not greasy after the heating, it has never messed up staining or finishing, and it usually disappears with a little sanding or scraping anyway, right as I finish the bow.
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Same as Springbuck, I do usually oil white woods but only on tight bends most of the time with Osage, never worry about getting it off unless I am adding skins and then I just wipe it down with acetone before gluing. :)
Pappy
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To each there own...oil isnt needed for general shaping/correcting. All it does is make a mess...if i want to make a tighter bend like recurving i just use steam as thats way easier n safer.
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But I love the smell Chris and Sally really loves it. ;) ;D ;D
Pappy
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Olive oil on osage with a little heat added smells like popcorn. ;D
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I am in bad Chris's camp on this one. Is that a good camp by the way. ;D ;D
Arvin
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I think perhaps we use different heating techniques besides whether or not we like condiments on our bows. I heat slow, by keeping the gun a sufficient distance away, and always moving, heating all sides. I never leave it still, not for a second. Though my method may be slower, I heat long enough that I'm sure the heat has soaked through to the center of the stave, but never get the surface so hot that I can't hold it in my hand. In the end, I usually have no discoloration at all on the wood's surface. I have seen bows scorched pretty bad and suspect folks might leave the heat source sit close and/or unmoving. This may increase the likelihood of cracks opening as well, and may lead folks to believe they need oils to keep it from happening.