Heat and Hickory

[ron w]

I makeing a self bow from Hickory and I have a ?? I'm to the point where I'm starting to floor tiller ,almost ready to do a long string. I'm thinking about adding some reflex to the tips and was wondering when this should happen ,soon or later when its near final tiller. What'cha think.....can I do this with dry heat?

[Springbuck]

Do it as soon as the bow is to basic final dimensions.  You know that final tillering involves removing a Hair's thickness of wood, so heat treating with only a hair's thickness to remove won't hurt anything.

 You can do it when the bow is basically finished, but if you tiller like a normal bow, then add recurves, you will have to re-tiller the bow, and since you can't put wood back on, missing weight is a possibility.

[Roy Steele]

You can do it with dry heat.But sorry I'm no fan of any heat.With hickory your better off to keep it in a hot box as it's made so it dos'nt pick up any moisture.This is what makes hickory (white wood) slugest and have string follow.Do it like this right up to the finish and you won't have to recurve those tips.

Keep hot box low heat as possable.Hickory 7,8% moistureis about right.Iuse 1 15 watt light bulb this should keep the moisture about 8%.

[ron w]

I'm not really looking to recurve the tip just add some reflex.I'll get it to basic final demensions and give a try, thanks. Any other toughts.....

[No-sage]

Yeah.... Do it right after floor tillering.  Don't narrow the tips until you get them bent in case they don't line up after, you can work them straight again.

Roy is right about the humidity. With the weather we're having around here now, I wouldn't work hickory until winter.  Your heated house will keep it dry enough, I leave mine right over the heat vent until it's under finish.

[JPS]

Keep it dry for sure. To get the most from hickory tiller it to full brace height then string it backwards to a medium brace and heat treat the belly with a heat gun or over an electric burner just till its golden brown. This will give you your reflex and it will take less set.

[JPS]

Forgot to mention you should let it cool several hours before you unstring it and work it again