Paul Comstock
It is true that a perfectly pipe-shaped log is generally capable of producing the straightest, most symmetrical wooden bow possible. It is also generally true that such a piece of wood can be made into a good, reliable bow with the least amount of effort.
Other pieces of wood can be more "difficult." They can require a higher level of skill and bowmaking smarts to produce a reliable weapon. And such wood often produces a bow that is not perfectly smooth and straight, but is lumpy, twisted, gnarled, and crooked. To a veteran bowmaker, these bows are also interesting and unique. It is no accident that as bowyers become more proficient and experienced, they also grow less fussy about the symmetry and appearance of a stave.
My own bowmaking experiences have led me to the strong conclusion that a bow's appearance does not have any influence whatsoever on how the bow functions as a weapon.
In terms of function, what is really important? That the bow is long enough and wide enough to stand the strain of bending and that it be constructed well. Such a bow will have a minimum of string follow, or set, after being strung for long periods of time. It will have good tension early in the draw and pull smoothly at the end of the draw. Its cast per pound will be above average. Its stability will make accuracy easier for the archer. It will be extremely durable.
And perfect cosmetics are not needed to achieve any of these things.
I submit that demanding a perfectly smooth and symmetrical bow is a symptom of fiberglass mentality. This is what fiberglass-laminated bows look like. Someone who can't shift out of the fiberglass gear may think wooden bows have to look the same. They can look like fiberglass. But they do not have to look like fiberglass. The bowyer who is prepared to deal with more challenging pieces of wood is going to make more bows than the fellow who demands "perfect" wood. Because "perfect" wood is rare.
There are a number of techniques that can turn less-than-perfect pieces of wood into perfect wooden bows. Among these techniques are heating and bending, and steaming and bending.
By using these bending methods, a crooked piece of wood can be turned into a straight piece of wood. A deflexed piece of wood can be turned into a reflexed piece of wood. A straight-end piece of wood can be turned into a recurved piece of wood.
Marvelous character bows which would never have been attempted by anyone afflicted with "fiberglass mentality." These weapons, by the way, were both made by beginners.
If wood becomes hot enough, it becomes pliable and can be bent into a new shape without breaking. And when the wood cools, it can keep the new shape.
This method has a considerable number of possibilities for wooden bows. But heating and bending has the highest odds of success when limited to these applications;
• Putting a reflex into the handle of the bow.
• Recurving the ends of the bow.
• Removing large or long deflexed sections of a limb.
• Straightening crooked sections of the bow. The main requirement is that when the bow is strung and viewed from the belly, the string bisects the handle. This prevents the bow from turning in the hand. In this regard, it makes no difference what a limb does between the center and the tips, as long as the string lies across the handle (refer also to Tillering chapter in Vol. 1).
There is a catch to heating and bending. It weakens the wood because heating and bending deforms the wood cells.
If the wood is only bent a few degrees, the wood is weakened by a very small amount. And often there are no ill effects. For example, I have repeatedly used steam and bending to straighten deflexed sections of bow limbs. When the bow is finished, the repaired limb acts as if it had always been straight.
But this sort of approach may only work well under certain conditions. For example, my success with removing deflex may depend on the fact I always straighten the wood before I begin tillering the bow. If one waits until the bow has been tillered and bent — and then tries to straighten a deflexed spot — odds are high the deflex will eventually return.
In the same fashion, others have tried to steam and bend reflexed curves into small sections of the working limb. In most cases, the normal compaction of the wood, which makes the bow follow the string, will pull out this artificial reflex. Odds of success are higher when the entire limb is bent into a reflex.
Bending the bow from one side to the other—to straighten a crooked spot— also has good odds of success in most instances if the limb is not too wide.
It should be mentioned that most tropical woods are notoriously contrary about bending with heat, in particular lemonwood and goncalo alves. Lemon-wood was bent in the old days not by heat but by a chemical treatment. These problems virtually never occur with North American wood.
Generally speaking, the most successful heating and bending is done in a spot where the limb is working very little or none at all. In other words, at the handle and limb tips.
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