Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: RyanR on December 06, 2014, 06:05:54 pm
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I have heard of people putting vegetable oil on their stave while heating it for correction. What is the purpose of this? Does it help keep some of the moisture in the stave so it does not become dry and brittle. I had one last weekend that got a little charred and formed a compression fracture that I could not get rid of. It literally exploded at just over brace while tillering. It was a 66" Osage stave. I have no reason to question the quality of the wood because my best bow so far came off a belly split of this stave.
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People have different opinions on this. I think it definately helps with white woods. With osage I will use it for straightening out the limbs but if I am going to heat temper and add reflex I dont bother. It helps hold the heat in the wood as well as helping to keep scorch marks to a minimum.......unless your going for scorch marks >:D
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Pretty sure oil helps prevent scorching, and helps evenly spread the heat.
Some shellac their greenish staves when steaming to prevent checking
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I use oil and think it helps hold the heat longer, helps the heat spread more evenly as well as keeping the wood from scorching. If you are not paying attention you can still scorch the wood even with oil.
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Used it for a long time. Now I don't just to avoid the clean up. Seems not to be necessary as long as you use some caution.
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+1 with Wizardgoat and Pat. I have used it on several Hack berry staves over open fire, and with heat guns. It has worked well.
Spreads the heat out evenly, heat penetrates deeper and prevents scorching.
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Vegetable oil is more likely to scorch or burn than lard/Crisco. But it still serves a purpose.
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Crisco is veg shortening, basically emulsified veg oil.
I don't worry about the clean up since I started scrubbing with Dawn and hot water and rinse with boiling water. It only takes a few minutes and it preps the bows back surface by wetting it ahead of time for the sinew, rawhide or snake skin covering.
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I use the cheapest Vegy oil I can get, like Cody I use it mostly white wood also I use it on Yew also, on Osage usually just for major work. :)
Pappy
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I wipe some on the back of bows Im tempering so my backed caul doesn't scorch it. Otherwise, I never use any on the belly side.
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Oil is for frying taters not wooden bows ;)
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This just goes to show you RyanR, lot of this stuff you just have to decide for your self, not really a right answer. ;) :)
Pappy
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That pretty much spells it out pappy. The only thing we all agree on is limbs need to share the load to make a healthy, happy bow.
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Well that, and that the front profile needs to match the tiller shape. 8) >:D
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Don't get me started ROBERT!
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Whoa! Did I type that out loud?
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I doubt that it keeps wood from drying out much. It does seem to transfer heat well and evenly into the wood. When you cook bratwurst the same thing happens; the oil is the medium of heat transfer to the middle (learned that on Alton Brown).
It also does seem to prevent, or delay, charring. Scorching is good, charring is bad.
Heat the wood, apply oil to the hot wood, and it will drink it in.
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Mmmmm.....bratwurst