I have my bow form about 98% finished. I carry it out to the work shop to work on it and then carry it back to the house to store. I am worried about it picking up moisture or the cold effecting it. It is the standard glued together 3/4" oak plywood for glass longbow. Am I worrying to much or is bringing it in the house a good thing. Thanks, Don
I have never brought mine in. We do have very low humidity though.
some guys seal theirs,I should seal my forms better..I have a few partial full cans of Spar Urethane..mine are waxed with paste wax so its too late to apply the Spar Urethane. But I have a dehumidifier and A/C in my shop and keep my forms in a enclosed dehumidified room. I think excessive moisture could make it more likely to warp in the oven..
I was worried, the heat, would not be good to a sealer. I have a can of Deft that doesn't work for me, as a wipe on, so I could use it to seal my form. I really like the Deft spray. Do you think Deft would work as well as Spar Urethane on the form. Thanks, Don
I don't know what the proper form sealer is..maybe automotive engine paint??? i think I'll use the search function and see what comes up. OK found a thread where a respected Bowyer says he uses polyuethane or an epoxy to seal form, so far green can turtle wax is working for me in my shops environment..next time I build a form i'll use poly and then wax..
I think I'll use the Deft and then the wax. Thanks, Don
i have had 2 forms warp on me. Even if it is a slight warp it ready makes tillering tough. The second form was sealed with laquer and still warped. The from I am working on now will get polyurethane enamel porch and deck paint. I have used it on wood boats and it last a lifetime, well my lifetime, so far.
My first form ( a simple 2" x 4") was just waxed. It hasn't warped yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if it does. It did pick up some moisture from being stored outside and if I could I would keep it inside all of the time. My second form I sealed with spray urethane and it is doing much better. I would suggest sealing it and then waxing it for maximum protection.
Do any you use angle iron on your forms?
I don't use angle iron but I have thought about it. What I did today was glue and screw 2 strips of the same plywood the form was made out of to the bottom of the form so the layers run perpendicual to the form. Still have to seal it.
The perpendicular wood should help. I was taught to use angle iron on both the top and bottom of my forms to prevent warping. I have not had one warp yet, but the R/D form only has 16 bows through it and the recurve has six. I have not sealed either of the forms with anything except paste wax before each glue up. It probably helps that the humidity here is a lot drier then other places. I used 1 ½" steel angle iron on the recurve form and two pieces of ¾" aluminum (one on each side) on the R/D form. It seems like cheap insurance to preserve all the work that goes into getting a form right.