Author Topic: Best bow woods for heat-bending  (Read 11399 times)

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Papa Matt

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Best bow woods for heat-bending
« on: August 22, 2008, 05:26:15 pm »
Brothers~

  What bow woods respond the best, and what ones respond the least to heat for things like taking out a bend or for recurving?

~~Papa Matt

Offline Dano

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2008, 06:11:25 pm »
Yew is the worst at taking dry heat that I've seen, osage being the best at it.
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Offline Kegan

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2008, 06:14:17 pm »
I use dry heat for bending from belly to back, and steam for left to right and recurves. So far, all the woods I've worked have responded this- oak, hickory, elm, sassafras, hornbeam, and osage.

Offline PeteC

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2008, 06:15:37 pm »
Papa Matt,I've only used: osage,elm,hickory,hophornbeam,hornbeam,and red oak,(all from staves),but it all bent good for me. Surely some experts will jump on and tell you what you need.  God Bless
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Offline richpierce

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2008, 06:58:18 pm »
Black locust will also bend front to back well with dry heat.  I have more trouble taking out side to side curves no matter what wood.

Offline Ryano

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2008, 08:19:12 pm »
I've read that hack berry is supposed to be about as bendy as it comes......no personal experience with it though. Osage definitely heat bends better than most white woods though.
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GraemeK

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2008, 09:27:19 pm »
Beech is considered to be the best wood for steam bending and is what bent wood chairs are made out of -- no idea if anyone makes bows out of it as it does not grow in Australia. Out of the traditional bow woods Osage is definitely  the best I have found.

Graeme

Offline JackCrafty

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2008, 10:05:12 pm »
Green wood is the only stuff I'll try to bend anymore.  Dry wood is just too much trouble....even when steamed for a long time.  Some dry wood tends to check after steaming (as it dries out)...and dry heat makes some dry wood more brittle.

The wood that has steam bent well (for me) is elm, osage, locust, and mulberry.  I haven't tried ash or white oak....I've heard these steam bend well also.

Dry heat seems to work on on osage and locust.  Dry heat on red oak was very disappointing....although I've heard that it steams well.

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« Last Edit: August 22, 2008, 10:18:16 pm by jackcrafty »
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2008, 10:43:27 pm »
Osage and locust are the two easiest woods to heat bend that I've tried-they turn almost to rubber with some heat. Hickory and elm are fairly easy, but I've never had much luck bending ash.
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Offline sailordad

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2008, 11:02:52 pm »
ive only bent wood once, osage with dry heat,my little bow i call "sliver" 5/8ths wide by about 5/8ths thick,once it got hot it was like a piece of licorice


but i do have a hick board bow that has some deflex in one limb i need to get rid of, i think i'll try steam on that one and see what happens


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Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2008, 11:08:43 pm »
Tropicals (Ipe & purple heart) dont bend worth a darn!
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Papa Matt

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2008, 09:56:29 am »
Right on, thanks for all the replies brothers!

~~Matt

Offline Mark Smeltzer

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Re: Best bow woods for heat-bending
« Reply #12 on: August 25, 2008, 11:20:49 am »
With dry heat, I have had the best luck with Osage. The worst luck with Yew.
Mark