Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: PebblePlacement on May 17, 2013, 07:05:12 pm

Title: Fire Hard.
Post by: PebblePlacement on May 17, 2013, 07:05:12 pm
Will fire hardening my composite long bow make it brittle? Mess up my laminating?
Pros and cons?

Maple and birch, then gumtree lams after hardening.. Does this work?

The limb are just one piece of maple, all the glued layers are in the riser.
Just fire the limbs and not the handle and shelf sections?
Title: Re: Fire Hard.
Post by: bubby on May 17, 2013, 07:34:25 pm
if all the lams are in the riser then it's really not a composite, if the limbs are one pc you can heat treat the limbs
Title: Re: Fire Hard.
Post by: PebblePlacement on May 18, 2013, 01:07:04 am
Thanks for the info, i must have misunderstood.
Title: Re: Fire Hard.
Post by: George Tsoukalas on May 18, 2013, 09:40:43 am
Heat may and probably will affect the glue bond. Jawge
Title: Re: Fire Hard.
Post by: PebblePlacement on May 18, 2013, 05:23:09 pm
I don't think I can risk this one...  Now I am going to have to make one just to test ( ooooo  poor me ;) lol )
Title: Re: Fire Hard.
Post by: Slackbunny on May 18, 2013, 07:35:12 pm
As long as you keep the heat away from your glue, you should be fine. A number of people use heat to "temper" the belly of their bow to reduce the probability of set, and to add a few pounds of draw weight. But they normally do it using a heat gun and they normally put the bow in slight reflex during the process.

You probably could do it using fire but you'd need to be pretty careful. Also if you do decide to do it, make sure that you don't flex the bow for a week or so afterwards. The heat will dry it out to an unsafe level, and it needs to re-acclimatize before you stress it.
Title: Re: Fire Hard.
Post by: PebblePlacement on May 24, 2013, 08:54:30 am
Great advise..into action today, results to come. Thanks.
Title: Re: Fire Hard.
Post by: crooketarrow on May 24, 2013, 09:42:52 am
  I don't know of any glues that a heat resistant. Heat will make your glue fail.