Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: possum on August 08, 2007, 10:16:19 am
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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
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I have had the same experience,I almost always do mine now,It will help it hold backset and generally add some weight. :)
Pappy
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Haven't tried it yet, waiting for TBB4 with Marc's chapter.
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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.
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I hope he's doing a chapter?
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Well, the ice cream was great... Breyer's Strawberry Cheesecake. I just went and got some more. 4/$10.00, last day. ;D :o
possum
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Good thing you got some more ice cream... toasting the belly can give off some odors that will make your stomach growl like nobody's business ;D
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When I saw that ice cream "sale" listing, I just knew you had to be somewhere close - so I checked your bio - :D now i see it at the bottom also - just got used to doing that.
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yeah, land of Food Lion. You near Outer Banks? I have a brother out there. S'posed to be goin pig huntin out there sometime.
possum
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LOL -Yep, that's the store(s). I'm between Morehead city and Swansboro - on the mainland inside Bogue Banks. I hear there are pigs up around Pocosin Lake Refuge area and down near the state line. We are just beginning to get them into NC (from SC). I was up there last year (for deer)- didn't see any pigs but one or two guys did.