Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Josh on April 15, 2012, 05:35:03 pm

Title: Steaming Elm...wish me luck!
Post by: Josh on April 15, 2012, 05:35:03 pm

Decided to try my hand at a deflex recurve modeled loosely around some of Marc St Louis' bows.  I hope my steaming methods work... usually I make a 3rd limb just in case but I only was able to get two useable billets out of this piece of elm.  So... as the title says:  Wish me luck!   ;D   -josh


(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0825.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0826.jpg)

Title: Re: Steaming Elm...wish me luck!
Post by: Josh on April 15, 2012, 06:18:47 pm

ended up lifting some serious splinters in the bend... I think there's enough wood that I can just sand the splinters out when I take them off the forms... We'll see.   :)

Title: Re: Steaming Elm...wish me luck!
Post by: young indian12 on April 15, 2012, 06:21:24 pm

Good luck bro ;) It's gonna be a cool bow!

Breven

Title: Re: Steaming Elm...wish me luck!
Post by: Josh on April 15, 2012, 06:45:11 pm

thanks!  I hope so.  :)

Title: Re: Steaming Elm...wish me luck!
Post by: Pat B on April 15, 2012, 06:53:38 pm

Josh once the wood dries put super glue in the splintered area. You may remove all of it when you shape the tips but a little insurance never hurts.  ;)

Title: Re: Steaming Elm...wish me luck!
Post by: PatM on April 15, 2012, 07:11:08 pm

Interesting that it splintered. I have only had on piece of elm out of dozens of pieces that didn't bend like wet leather when subjected to steam or boiling water.

Title: Re: Steaming Elm...wish me luck!
Post by: Josh on April 16, 2012, 11:33:44 am

Thanks PatB!  Will-do.  I am also going to glue on an underlay in the curve with Urac once I get the limbs thinned down a little bit (I left them thick for bending)  Hopefully between the super glue and the underlay it will hold!  :)

PatM I have heard that elm is easy to steam...wasn't expecting it to crack like it did.  It cracked worse than the red oak board I did last year.  I have only steamed wood twice so far so I really don't have much experience with it to know what I did wrong. I think the metal strip pulled away from the belly of the curve while I was bending it to cause the crack but Im not really sure. 

Now I am going to wait a few days before I pull them off the forms and see what I have.  Waiting is the hardest part in this game for sure! :)

Title: Re: Steaming Elm...wish me luck!
Post by: PatM on April 16, 2012, 12:20:00 pm

I never use the metal strap on Elm. Even a hint of a sliver lifting is rare. I bend pieces at least 5/8 thick as well, often more.
 Pre-soaking the wood helps. I just stick the end in a bucket for a couple of days to saturate it and then steam or boil it depnding on where I'm working.

Title: Re: Steaming Elm...wish me luck!
Post by: Josh on April 16, 2012, 01:31:27 pm

I might have to try that pre-soaking on my next one.  Thanks for the tip! :)